Under the Light
by Sendo Sheng
Summary: In the world of the night, two souls meet and their lives are intertwined. And a deep romance blooms amidst the horrors of the night. The truth of their lives, unveiled together. Under the Light, Darkness Falls.
1. Chapter 01: Under the Moon

_Dive into an endless world of night. Truth clouded by doubt. Despair hidden in the heart, love scarred into the soul. Under the Light, Darkness falls._

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A world without hope or wishes. Only reality... Many dreams seem to spawn from it and many wish to live in their dream. That dream in my life would be considered a nightmare by many but I see an ordinary day. I don't see the light of day as clearly as anyone else. The light of the moon seems to be the one illuminating my world. A world of harsh reality and a world of the night.

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_Under the Light_

**_Chapter 1:_**

**_Under the Moon_**

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The sounds of sirens rang through the city as the police and ambulances rushed to the scene. Any sign of silence was broken as the entire city grew in its panic. The news reported that a series of murders had been occurring throughout the city; however, all the victims had a thin line of similarity; they were very important people or people with a high status that didn't exactly work in the legal light. The assassin left no traces of evidence in their presence, the only thing that could be retrieved was the body of the victim, if they were lucky it remained intack; not even a single finger print. It had always been a clean and silent task or a very graphic and gory scene. The public knew this information but others knew more and what they knew, they feared.

In the same world yet a different world, a dark one, there existed a group only known as The Organization. It could be said that they are the source of all the terror that had been going on in the city. The group specializes in working the underworld; where they have the top crimes and deals, received and done by the most dangerous people. The Organization was the current talk of the underworld as rumors spread through like wildfire and because of their most recent success and rise to power. The only information that could gather was that they had been raising a group of private assassins that had undergone the most ruthless training. One assassin in particular however performed every mission he ever went on, perfectly.

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><p>A blond headed man walked down an empty corridor, his footsteps resounded across the clear path as he scrolled through his digital planner. The man held a large bag, carried at his side as he stopped in front of a door. He knocked on the door twice and turned the knob slowly and cautiously pushed it open. The room was plain and simple with the walls painted a dark red and various kinds of furniture lined the walls. A dark brown haired young man stopped his exercise and turned to the man. Staring at him with a soulless gaze yet shivers ran down the man's back just from the sight of his golden eyes.<p>

"Xiang, you have a new assignment," he stated, a slight nervousness in his voice. The Asian boy remained silent as he waited but gave a small sign to recognize his new task.

"Alright then. The head of our rival organization has just flown into the town for a plane refuel. Your task is to find him and kill him but the difficult part is that he has a large group of guards with him and they're trained and heavily armed. We want you to kill him without being found, no one must know of your identity, understood? You are to leave immediately."

Xiang nodded slightly and went out with the man as they were about to supply him with the necessary gear for his mission. The two meet with the weapon supplier and he handed a sniper rifle and sword to Xiang. He took the weapons without any change in emotion and left the two men.

Xiang strapped his gun onto his back and sheathed his sword as he walked through the underground parking lot. After passing by some other vehicles, he arrived to his personalized black motorcycle. He unlocked his motorcycle and seated himself firmly as he turned it on. He grabbed his helmet and revved the engine, making the machine roar with mechanical sounds. Xiang speeded out of the parking lot as he headed toward the airport. Traffic was light as he speeded through the highway. The night time lights came in a blur to Xiang as he ran pass them without care, focusing on his mission. He slowed down for only a second to check his location and sped back up, knowing that he was close.

Xiang reached his destination soon enough and he slid across the parking lot, parking far away from the building and sprinted through the dark and to the building. Avoiding any lights that would reveal his presence, he finally reached the tall building and pressed his back up to the cold stone. Using his binoculars he scouted for his target. From the corner of the wall he could see the large man standing with at least twenty other men dressed in complete black. They all carried lethal weapons that could clearly overwhelm him but Xiang placed his binoculars away and took out a grappling hook. He tossed the metal hook to the top of the roof as it hooked onto the edge of the ledge. Making sure the hold was firm; he began to scale the side of the stone.

The roof seemed to be completely clear excluding the door that led up there. Xiang went to the side of the building and took out his rifle. He promptly took aim and saw that no one was guarding or surrounding the target. He took all factors of the distance into account and readied the trigger. The wind whistled passed him and his finger pulled the trigger. All was silent as the bullet flew through the air until the collapse of a certain person threw everything into chaos. The next second came and all the guards were scrambling around, trying to find the culprit and trying to save their employer. Xiang lifted his head from the scope of the rifle and watched as the smoke began to dissipate from the head. He could see the small pool of crimson beginning to form around his victim as the worthless guards could do nothing as he died. The sudden and unmistakable sound of footsteps was heard and Xiang turned around quickly, aiming his rifle at whatever made the noise.

On the other side of the roof stood a woman, holding a knife, and a tall man holding a creepy smile on his face. The woman was wearing some sort of maid dress and had long white blond hair. The man was wearing a heavy coat and a scarf that wrapped around his neck. He had light blond hair as well.

"Looks like my informants were correct," said the man. Xiang noticed that the man had a hard Russian accent as he spoke but he turned most of his attention to the woman holding the knife.

"Do you not speak? Well that's just fine. I must thank you for killing that man."

Xiang only held his emotionless stare as the man continued.

"Do you want to know why I am here? Do you want to know why I'm thanking you?" Xiang thought about it for a second before slightly nodding his head. "Excellent, I finally got you to respond. The reason I'm here was to see you kill that man. And the reason why I'm thanking you is because that man was my father."

Xiang was confused by his response and he tightened his grip on the rifle. "You must be confused, da? Allow me to explain, my name is Ivan, Ivan Braginski. I am the heir to my father's company so logically I would inherit the company after his death. I would inherit all the power that it has to offer. But I wasn't going to wait for him to just die naturally so I needed a way for him to pass away faster and I leaked the information that he would be here to your higher ups. I knew they wouldn't pass up the chance to take out a person of such high status and now here we are. It was also simple to find you. I planted guards on top of all these buildings and they alerted me immediately once you appeared. They said they didn't even notice you arriving but what does it matter as long as the results are sufficient."

Xiang's expression didn't change but he opened his mouth and in a monotone voice he spoke. "Looks like the target has changed." Without any hesitation, he pulled the trigger and the bullet ran through the air. However, instead of hearing a body fall to the ground, the clang of steel echoed across the roof top; the bullet met with steel, rather than the flesh of the target. The woman stood in front of Ivan, holding her knife in front of her face. Xiang saw a small dent on the side of the blade as she covered her face with it.

"Oh, allow me to introduce my guard and sister, Natalia. She is very deadly in combat. Well Mr. Assassin, I'm afraid you must die now. After I bring your body to them, they will hail me as a hero and no one will ever know of my plan."

Xiang gave a despondent look at Ivan and saw that if he was going to kill him, he had to get rid of the girl first. Natalia dashed to Xiang; out of reflexes, he pulled out his rifle to defend himself. The two objects meet and the sound of metal clashing resounded into the night. Xiang could only defend himself against Natalia's relentless assault against him. Xiang was pushed back to the edge of the roof and in a swift movement, Natalia sliced through the rifle. Xiang cursed the low quality rifle and tossed the useless weapon towards the girl, forcing her to jump back in response. Taking this chance, Xiang slowly unsheathed his sword, allowing the small amount of moon light to reflect off of the gleaming blade.

Natalia gave a murderous gaze towards Xiang and charged him. Raising his blade, he blocked her attack and brushed it off easily. Now that he had gained some ground, he could easily defend himself from her onslaught. Xiang had the greatest advantage over her as all her attacks were direct and readable from all sides. As she charged again, in one swift movement, he swung his blade and knocked the girl back. Without wasting a single second, Xiang dashed off and mercilessly slashed her across her body. A wave of blood emerged and Natalia fell to the ground, as red painted the ground under her.

Xiang walked to her, raising his blade over her throat, ready to finish off his foe. The sudden burst of a gunshot made Xiang react and turn his attention to the sound. He then saw through the corner of his eye that he had been grazed by a bullet on his cheek. He could feel the blood slowly flowing out of the side of cheek but paid no mind to it as he focused on where the bullet came from.

"I can't have you killing my servant," announced Ivan. He held a pistol in his hand, aimed directly at Xiang. "Too bad you moved or else that would've killed you."

Xiang turned all his attention to Ivan now. The Russian wasn't fazed by his concentration at all. Rather he looked amused, holding that sadistic smile on his face. "Well Mr. Assassin, I'm afraid you lose this game now." With a snap of his fingers, bodyguards burst through the door and began to fill the roof top. To make things even harder for Xiang, a helicopter flashed its light and focused on Xiang. The bodyguards all took out their guns and aimed them onto the Asian. Xiang realized he wasn't going to be able to kill Ivan, so he slowly sheathed his sword.

In a flash of movement, Xiang stole Natalia's knife. With his sudden move, the guards began to shoot. Xiang side stepped the barrage of bullets and ran passed the men, cutting down anyone that got in his way and finally reached behind the entrance to the roof. As he planned, the light from the helicopter shined right above him. Using the knife he stole, he flung the blade at the source of the light and the light was shattered and only the dim light of the moon illuminated the roof.

Xiang faced the edge of the roof and taking a deep breath, he leaped from the roof. Instead of free falling to the bottom, he ran across the side of the building, his speed increasing with the gravity that pulled him down. Xiang neared the ground and in an instant, he took out his sword and dug it into the wall of the building. The friction from the blade slowed his movements as he neared the ground. Only a few feet separated him from the bottom until his blade snapped from the tension. Xiang fell to the ground but landed perfectly, showing no signs of injury. Without wasting time, he sprinted towards his motorcycle.

Taking out his keys, he jumped onto the motorcycle and started it. He quickly threw on his helmet as the engine roared but Xiang made sure to keep his lights off so they couldn't detect him, using the darkness of the night to his advantage he escaped into the city, the building quickly shrinking as he made his getaway.

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><p>The bodyguards prepared to chase after him but they were halted. Ivan still held his grin despite Xiang being able to escape. The guards began to line up accordingly.<p>

"There is no need to chase after him. Someone go check on Natalia." Two men broke formation and went over to the girl.

As soon as they got close to her, her arm sprang up and caught one of them by the neck, only tightening her grip as he squirmed. "Hurry and stop this bleeding," she uttered, giving a death glare to her prey. The man called for medical aid and attempted to stop the bleeding as she finally released her vice grip on the man's neck.

Ivan began to walk across the roof, the guards moved aside. Ivan stood in front of the discarded rifle of Xiang's. His smile grew wider as he looked down on it. "Someone wrap up this rifle. Make sure not to touch it with your bare hands, all the evidence we need is right here."

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Hetalia. All rights go to Hidekaz Himaruya

**So how was it? Not too violent as a start right? And some of you might be asking where Mei is but she'll appear in the next chapter ;) Anyway reviews are much appreciated. And it /will/ get more violent as things go on, bye for now.**


	2. Chapter 02: Night Unforseen

_Awakened from slumber, the memory of that dream starts to fade, but those that are strong are imprinted into the soul_

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A world that doesn't understand; beyond what they can see or wish for. To grasp that wish with your own hands and create a dream. That dream is my world, something only I can see. The sounds that speak to my soul. Many are left to the darkness of their ignorance and can't look to the sun to guide them. That light that can blind many. But in their world of dreams, they can't see the day.

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_Under the Light_

**_Chapter 2:_**

**_Night Unforeseen_**

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The sun fell, announcing the arrival of the night. The moon dimly lit the area and the stars were hidden by the bright lights of the city. One building in particular was buzzing with people as they crowded the music hall. A concert was being held by the most prestigious academy of the city. The main group of the music department would be performing but a few selected students of that group would be performing a solo piece of their choosing.

The students were backstage, preparing for the concert that was approaching. In the midst of all the commotion, a lone girl sat quietly, staring into her lap. Her long brown hair hid the back of her head as her hands tightly clutched together as she nervously thought about the approaching concert. Suddenly a hand appeared on her shoulder, making her gasp in surprise. She looked over her shoulder and relaxed once she saw her trustful friend.

"Hey Mei. You nervous?"

She gave her friend a light smile. "Hey Yue, I am. You'd think I'd be used to this by now."

"Don't worry so much. You're an experienced musician; everyone loves it when you play. Just go out there and do what you usually do and you'll be fine."

"Thanks Yue. It's nice to have a supportive friend. But I just can't shake this nervousness, even though I've played so many times."

Yue let out a soft sigh. "Well, try and fix that. For now, get ready because it's almost time."

Mei nodded towards Yue and rose from her seat. The two walked onto the stage as the velvet red curtains were still closed. Mei wished her friend luck and went over to her side of the stage as Yue took out her flute. Mei quickly sat down on her bench and rested her hands on top of the piano. She let out a long sigh as she readied herself for the concert. The other students held their instruments at rest position, waiting for the curtains to rise. The sound from the audience's chatter slowly died down as the lights in the main room dimmed until black, alerting the students that the concert was beginning.

The curtains rose and everyone readied their instruments. The conductor walked to the center of the stage and tapped his baton against the stand, gaining everyone's attention. He raised the baton and slowly, everyone began to play. The song began softly; it gradually began to rise in tempo and sound as it progressed. Mei gently pressed her fingers across the keys, keeping her own tempo but also being another guide for the other players. Mei however found it uncomfortable to play with anyone. Everyone she has ever played with was either so strict that it wasn't enjoyable or too lenient in playing that they made mistakes and disgraced the music. Playing by herself, she could go with her own pace and play to the degree she was able to appreciate and enjoy.

The ensemble soon ended and the hall exploded with applause at their performance. Mei took a breath of relief and placed her hands on her lap. The curtains fell and everyone began maneuvering the piano to the center of the stage as everyone else moved off the stage. Mei clutched her dress tightly as she stood at the edge of the stage. In a few minutes she would perform for everyone. The stage was clear, save the piano. The curtains began to rise once again and Mei walked across the stage and sat down swiftly. Mei placed her hands on the keys and closed her eyes, taking a moment to calm her nerves. In a soft voice, the speakers announced Mei would be performing her own original piece.

Mei gently began to press against the keys. Moving at her own pace she gradually increased the movement of her hands. Expressing everything she felt about music through the song she was playing. How she felt like she could escape her world through this. Music had always been calming and exciting. She loved her world but it had become too expected. She knew how most things worked, the same routines were repeated; her world was almost too perfect. It was good but it was tiresome at the same time. The final notes were played and Mei lifted her hands off the board and opened her eyes.

The crowd applauded loudly in response to the performance. Mei shyly bowed to them and went off the stage. As soon as she returned back stage, her fellow classmates congratulated her and complimented on her elegant playing. Mei thanked them and went over to find Yue, preparing for her turn.

"Hey there," greeted Yue.

"I'm so glad that I got that over with!"

"See, I told you that you'd do fine. Your playing was great as usual."

"Yeah thanks. Except I felt like something was missing…"

"Hmm, you realized it too?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure if you realized it but your playing was… less passionate. As if you're longing for something," explained Yue.

"Well I don't know, I think you're right. To be honest, I feel as if life is just too perfect right now. Like it's an illusion that is just waiting to be broken or become reality."

"Well it is reality Mei. Maybe you're just waiting for something that will change everything in your life."

Mei smiled slightly. "Maybe I am but I'm not sure if that something will ever come."

"Don't worry Mei; I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for in time. Well I'm up."

"Thanks Yue, you always know what to say. Good luck on your performance."

"Yeah thanks. Are you going to stay for the rest of the concert?"

"Hmm, I'll stay for your performance but after I think I'll go home."

"Okay then." Yue gave Mei a quick hug before going onto the stage. Yue began to play; a soft and elegant piece as a calming and relaxing sound was emitted from her flute. Mei listened attentively until the final notes were reached and applause came straight after. She smiled for her friend before grabbing her jacket and things. Taking out her phone, she checked the time and tried calling for her brother. The phone rang for a moment before Mei was answered with a dead tone and a voice message. She sighed and realized she would have to walk home.

Mei stepped out of the concert hall and the night air fully embraced her. She shivered from the cold breeze and dug her hands into her jacket's pockets. Mei began to walk home, trying her best to remember the path despite the darkness obstructing her view. After a few minutes, Mei realized the situation she was in, she was lost. After coming under a street light, she could see but couldn't recognize anything about her surroundings.

All was quiet, save the sirens that rang throughout the city. Mei began to walk again, her steps echoing through the empty streets. Mei abruptly stopped and listened carefully. Multiple footsteps started to appear behind her. Through the corner of her eye, she could see a large group of men heading toward her. Without wasting another moment, she quickened her pace but she could hear them going faster as well. She changed her speed into running, not daring to look back at the gang. Mei saw the corner of the block and ran for it. When she turned, she ran into someone. Instead of falling back, her wrist was grasped. Mei opened her eyes and saw a large man gripping onto her wrist. She tried to pull away but to not avail. The man held a large dirty grin on his face.

"You're not going anywhere."

"Let me go!" demanded Mei.

The man laughed. "You're not leaving until me and my friends have some fun with you."

Mei struggled harder but the man outweighed her and was far too strong to fight. She could hear the other men arriving behind her; at this point all she could do was cry for help. She opened her mouth to scream but immediately, a rag as placed over her mouth, muffling the yell. Mei's vision started to fade and her body started to become numb and weak. The last thing she could hear before blacking out was the roar of an engine.

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><p>Xiang rode as fast and quietly as he could but the sound of his engine couldn't be suppressed. To make sure he wasn't followed, he took a longer route to go back to base. As he entered a deserted street, his engine suddenly made a small explosive sound. Worried, Xiang slowed down his ride and prepared to stop in order to check on it. When he stopped, a group of men and a girl stood on the sidewalk.<p>

All the men looked at him like they were exposed but it changed quickly into amusement. They began to surround him, leaving the girl against the wall. Xiang stood still as he eyed the men surrounding him.

"Well, what do we have here? A boy interrupting our fun?"

"Why don't you take off that helmet and let us give you a new look?"

Xiang remained silent as he observed the men's movements. There were eight of them, they were burly but their movements seemed sluggish. "Looks like you're too scared to even say a word. Well, that'll change after we hear you screaming."

The man threw his fist at Xiang but Xiang quickly raised his hand and effortlessly caught it. The man was shocked but before he could do anything else, Xiang used his other arm and flipped the man into another. The two fell to the ground with a large thud. The others seemed to realize that Xiang could defend himself and two of the men charged him. Xiang leaped into the air perfectly and spin kicked a man across his head. The man he kicked rammed into the other as they fell to the ground but as one of them regained their composure, he looked at the other man and realized his neck was broken. Before the man could even look up, Xiang ran towards him and smashed his foot into his face and crushed it into the ground.

The conscious men realized what Xiang had just done as they slowly backed away from him. One of the men turned around and tried to escape. Xiang sprinted toward the person, being faster than the bulky man; he slammed his feet into his lower back, making him crash to the ground. Before he could recover, Xiang moved down and tightly gripped his arms and with both feet planted firmly at his lower spine, he began to lean back and pull against his arms. The man began to scream in pain until a loud snap was heard. The man grew silent as Xiang released his arms and he collapsed onto the ground, lifeless.

Keeping his momentum, Xiang dashed to another man and his fist impacted straight into the center of his chest. Xiang repeatedly assaulted the man with a barrage of punches. The man could only take the blows as the crushing of his ribs could be heard. Xiang threw one final punch and the man fell back to the ground. Xiang slowly walked over to the man's neck and stomped on it, relieving him of his last breath.

One of the men backed up and turned around only to meet the cold stone of a building. Before he could turn around, Xiang ran and took the back of his head and smashed his face into the stone. Xiang held his head tightly and pulled the head back, only to smash it into the wall again. Xiang started to run against the side of the building, making sure the man's face was dragging along with it. When he ran out of wall, he dropped the man as he fell to the ground. Xiang only took a moment to look back at the bloodied trail he left with the man's face across the jagged stone wall.

The final conscious man shook with fear but when Xiang turned to him, his fear turned into rage. The man whipped out a pocket knife and ran full speed at Xiang, holding the knife high into the air. Xiang leaned down and grabbed the corpse lying next to him and used it to shield himself from the knife. Before the man could pull the knife out, Xiang pushed the body onto the man and used the chance to kick both of them to the ground. Xiang moved quickly and stole the knife from the man's dirty hands and quickly slit his throat. Crimson quickly coated the short blade and the man fell motionless.

Everything seemed quiet as Mei stirred slightly, making Xiang turn to her. She slowly opened her eyes, still drowsy from the drug. The blurred image of one of the men appeared behind Xiang. The man took out a knife and prepared to stab the distracted Asian. Mei's eyes turned wide as she saw.

"Look out!" she cried.

Xiang immediately turned around and threw the knife straight into the man's forehead. Blood started to flow from his head as he slowly fell back. Xiang walked over to the dead man and picked up the knife he dropped and went over to the other unconscious man. Xiang noticed him breathing slightly and bent down. He reached forward and pulled the man's hair, lifting his head up before quickly slamming it back into the concrete. He took the knife and stabbed it into his neck and got up. Now that he was sure all of them were finished, he turned his attention and walked over to Mei; she looked up weakly and surprised Xiang with a small smile.

"Thank you for saving me."

Xiang was puzzled with her gratitude. Any normal person would cower in front of him if they just witnessed him slaughtering so many people. Instead she was thanking him, a complete stranger. Also he couldn't ignore the fact that she warned him, even though he could've handled it, he still appreciated these sorts of things. He bent down to meet with her eye to eye.

She had a pair of warm chocolate brown eyes that seemed slightly blurred from her drowsiness. Her hair was a lighter shade of brown to her eyes yet there was something about her that made Xiang curious. Mei did her best to remain awake but whatever those men did to her was still in effect. She wanted to know who her savior was but his helmet hid his identity from her. Xiang didn't want to leave her here so he reached out and grabbed her hand. He felt the softness of her delicate hand as she felt the warmth from his.

He pulled her up and guided her to his motorcycle. Xiang climbed onto the bike and pulled the drowsy Mei on as well. "Hold on" was all Xiang said before he ignited the engine and speeded off. Mei instantly became startled with the sudden change of speed and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist as they rode. Mei knew she should be afraid of this person but instead, something about him was…. alluring.

The two entered the center of town and the lights allowed Mei to get a better look at Xiang, although her senses were still dulled. A sudden flash of light allowed Mei a glance to the side of Xiang's face, despite it being dulled by the helmet. She tried to recognize the features of his face but the moment went by in an instant. Before she even realized it, he had stopped the bike and they were right in front of the police station. Mei got off of the motorcycle, and walked slowly over to the building, realizing that he wanted her to get home safely. As Mei turned around, Xiang took a final glance at her before riding away. Mei watched as he quickly disappeared into the darkness of the city as the night wind gently blew pass her.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Hetalia. All rights go to Hidekaz Himaruya

**Haha, second update~ By now you guys should have an understanding at the themes of this story and I know there wasn't any actual romance between the two. That's for later~ Anyway how was it? Review? It'll be much appreciated. Well stay posted for when I update, bye for now **


	3. Chapter 03: Dark Opening

_Even amidst the beginning of time, darkness was born; yet infinite possibilities are made._

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 3:**_

_**Dark Opening**_

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The sound of Xiang's engine echoed throughout the parking lot. Xiang proceeded back to his higher up's office after securing his motorcycle in the underground parking lot. After navigating through the building he came within his superior's office. Xiang's footsteps resounded through the empty hallway until he came to the door. He knocked against the wooden door and waited. The voice from inside told him to enter and Xiang went into the room.

The walls were adorned with old fashioned paintings. A large book case covered a wall on one side of the room. In front of Xiang sat a blond headed man as he finished typing something on his computer. He lifted his head from the screen and emerald green eyes stared upon Xiang.

"How did it go?" he asked casually.

"The assigned target was killed," he answered.

"Well done Xiang…"

"But I ran into some trouble," he interrupted.

"What would that be?" he asked, his mood somewhat darkening.

"We were tricked. They wanted us to kill the target."

"Who is "they"?"

"Someone named Ivan Braginski. He seems to be the heir of the company and used me or rather us to do the dirty work."

"I can't believe we fell for that information leak," exclaimed Arthur. "Is there anything else?"

"No there isn't."

"Very well, return to your room." Xiang nodded and exited the room. The man seemed to go into deep state of thought until he pressed a button on his desk. He turned his chair to the right as a screen came down and an image of a raven haired man came into view.

"Arthur? What is it?" asked the man.

"It seems our rival has changed."

"Who is it?"

"Ivan Braginski."

"Things just got more difficult for us then. I've heard dark things about him in the underworld. We'll have to be more wary of him. That's all for now Arthur, thank you for informing me of this matter."

"Yes, Kiku-sama." The screen rose back to its original position and Arthur returned to his work.

Xiang returned to his room and went to his closet, changing into his signature red jacket and black pants. He went over to one wall and gently tapped against the wall, making it open and unveiling an array of weapons. Xiang reached into his store and pulled out another rifle. He took his time to inspect the gun, making sure the metal was denser. After he was satisfied, he went over to retrieve a new sword. Xiang preferred not to use his high quality swords because he only used them for difficult missions. If it was for anything else, he'd use a standard sword and these swords would usually break.

After checking all of his equipment, he went toward his bed and slipped under the covers. Xiang knew that he would be deployed on another mission for the next night and wanted to get some rest. The late night finally took its role and Xiang began to drift off into slumber. His dream however was a distant memory yet it was the beginning.

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><p>Kiku sat quietly in his seat as he waited for his meeting. One of his associates finally alerted him to the results of his experiment and now he finally would meet with the so called 'perfect' weapon. A knock came from the other side of his door, breaking his train of thought and returning him to the matter at hand. The door opened slowly and Arthur entered the room along with a young tall dark brown haired man. He stood behind Arthur, not making any facial expressions.<p>

"Well Arthur-san?"

"Right away Kiku-sama. As you know of the "project", we've finally come to the final test."

"Continue," responded Kiku.

"To prove his skill, we'll make him undergo his first mission. We have research and found the head of the opium trade. We'll have him infiltrate the base and kill the leader. And with the leader out of the way, the trade will be open for us to take advantage of."

"Are you sure he can handle it by himself? We've sent others before and they never came back."

"I am certain he can. Although he's never performed a field test like this," answered Arthur.

Kiku closed his eyes and began to ponder the situation. After a few more moments of consideration, he began to speak. "We'll send someone with him. They will be in charge of watching over him."

Arthur seemed somewhat insulted that Kiku doubted his word. "If you say so but it is truly unnecessary. Where is this person?"

Kiku simply snapped his finger and immediately afterwards a woman entered the room. "This is one of our best agents. She should be able to do the job."

"Very well. They should depart immediately."

"Do so. I expect results by tomorrow morning."

Arthur nodded and exited the room with the two agents. Unlike the young man, the woman carried an unnatural aura of cheerfulness as she walked through the hallway, humming to herself. The trio finally reached the roof of the building, there a helicopter waited for them. Arthur whispered something into the young man's ear and the two agents boarded the helicopter. The blades began to spin rapidly and they entered the skies.

As they flew, the silence between the two seemed to displease her. It was apparent to the woman that he wouldn't be the one to speak first, or say anything for that matter. "So, let me introduce myself. My name's Dawn, how about you?"

"Xiang," uttered him. He returned to his closed mentality, making no attempt to continue what he considered a useless conversation.

Dawn was pleased to have gotten a name from the silent male but wanted to know more to satisfy her curiosity. What made him believe he could accomplish such a difficult task? Especially by himself. She asked him but no reply came. She continued to repeat her question, sounding more desperate every time she asked and failed. She asked once last time before finally giving up on her attempt to gain an answer from the stoic male.

The pilot signaled to the two, warning them that the location was close. Xiang got up from his seat and grabbed a standard pistol and a sword from the weapon supply in the back. Dawn was surprised that he was going so light but grabbed heavier weaponry to defend herself with. Xiang opened the doors to the helicopter, the wind rapidly blowing into the craft. Xiang grabbed a parachute and turned to Dawn.

"Don't get in my way," Xiang leaped from the ledge, leaving Dawn shocked and a bit frightened. She quickly leaned over to see Xiang free falling. Xiang could feel the wind blowing past him as gravity pulled him down to the ground. He neared the landing site and pulled the backpack, releasing the chute. Dawn shook her head and grabbed her own parachute and followed Xiang down.

The two landed in the courtyard; fortunately void of guards. Not wasting any precious time, Xiang began to sneak through the yard, using any of the lawn decorations to hide his presence. Dawn followed carefully but was always a step behind the elusive Asian. They reached a side of the estate and Xiang began searching for an entrance. Not finding a visible entrance, he took out a glass cutter from his bag and drew a small circle into a nearby window. Using the hole, he released the hatch locking the window and raised it, allowing him to enter.

The security inside was completely different from the outside. The house had a laser security system along with cameras on the ceilings. Xiang decided that it would be complete suicide if he just ran in. Xiang began to search for an alternate path and saw the air vents. He carefully removed the vents, setting it down next to him when a large crash came from behind him. He turned around quickly and saw Dawn had knocked over a vase when she entered with her heavy gear. The security system began to ring across the entire area, giving away their presence.

Xiang thrust his body into the vent and closed the entrance behind him, leaving Dawn to deal with the guards that began to emerge. It wasn't how he planned it but she would have to be the distraction now. As he crawled through the vents, he could hear the sound of gunfire from behind him. He continued through the narrow space until he heard the sounds die out. Xiang wandered through the vents until a bright source of light alerted him to people. He crawled over to the opening and saw a group of people surrounding a long table.

A man sat at the front of the table, smoking a cigar as he watched the others dealing their "product". The men were pushing a bag of raw powdery substance around the table. Each man took some out and checked the quality of the drug. After everyone check the contents of the bag, the head man seemed to await their response eagerly as he blew smoke out of his nostrils. They turned toward him and they simultaneously nodded. The man smiled and leaned back into his chair. He removed the cigar from his mouth and removed a contract from his coat and placed it on the table.

Suddenly, two men burst through the door, both holding onto a disabled Dawn. Everyone turned to the new events but the head looked greatly displeased. "What is this?" he demanded.

"Master Jonathan; we found this woman sneaking into the estate. She had a heavy machine gun with her and she killed ten of our men before we subdued her."

"What! How could she have entered without anyone noticing her?"

"She seemed to have parachuted into the grounds. But that's not the only thing. We found a second disposed parachute. We suspect that she has an accomplice."

"What? Find him then! You're all so incompetent!"

"We apologize master, we'll search for him right away, but what should we do about the girl?"

Jonathan rose from his seat and went over to Dawn, observing the features of her body. "She doesn't look that bad… we can use her. Take her to my office. I'll be there momentarily."

The men nodded and dragged Dawn out of the room. The head returned to his guests and Xiang saw his chance. He began to crawl through the vents once again, being sure not to make any sounds as he moved. He found another opening and looked into a dimly lit grand room. At the end of the room was a large wooden desk and beside it was a book case. The walls were adorned with simple paintings and pictures.

The doors opened and Xiang saw the men from before bring in the tied up Dawn. They tossed her into a corner of the room and exited. Dawn had an angry and frightened look on her face as she struggled with the ropes. The clock slowly ticked by as Xiang waited. He wasn't going to save Dawn. He considered the situation and she got herself caught, it was her fault and he wasn't going to blow his cover.

After a few minutes, Jonathan entered the room with a satisfied look on his face. He saw Dawn in the corner and his smile only grew wider. "Now let's see what I'm going to do with you…" He spoke in a low, deep husky voice as he removed the cloth from her mouth. Dawn immediately spat in his face, removing his smile and replacing it was a furious scowl. He raised his hand and slapped her across the face. "You bitch! I'll make sure to take care of you personally."

Xiang burst out of the vents, revealing his presence to the two. Xiang took out his gun as he ran toward Jonathan. Seeing the gun, he pulled out his own only to have it shot out of his hands. Jonathan rolled to the ground, dodging the bullets that followed him. He continued to roll until he slammed into the bookcase, making hundreds of books topple of the shelves. Xiang walked to him and aimed the gun. Jonathan scrambled into a corner, terror setting in on him. He closed his eyes and waited for his fate but only the sound of clicking came. He opened his eyes and saw that Xiang ran out of bullets.

Jonathan grinned and began to toss books at Xiang. Xiang easily dodged the assault but it was only a distraction. Jonathan ran for his gun and quickly swept it off the ground. Adrenaline drove him and he saw the helpless Dawn in the corner. He hastily went over to her and placed his gun point blank to her head.

He laughed loudly as if victory was in his grasps. "Don't come any further or I'll shoot. You don't want your friend dying on you do you?"

Xiang stared at him blankly and began to remove his sword. Jonathan only pressed the gun further, trying to make Xiang understand but he understood perfectly. Dawn looked just as scared and shocked as Xiang didn't stop his advance. Xiang ran straight towards them and pulled his sword back and impaled both of them. Jonathan's frightened face would be imprinted for eternity as his eyes became blank. Dawn however only stared at Xiang, her breathing becoming slower as blood flowed out from the wound.

"I told you not to get in my way…" He removed his blade and swung it back, letting the fresh blood fly off the steel. "You got in the way of the mission and as Arthur ordered, 'Don't fail this mission, under _any_ circumstances." Xiang stole Jonathan's gun and pointed it toward her forehead and pulled the trigger; her body falling over the blood splattered floor.

Xiang pocketed the gun and removed a match from his pocket and dragged it against the wall till a flame appeared. He tossed it behind him and struck the books. Xiang waited for a moment as the flames began to rise and a long shadow appeared in front of Xiang. He then ran out the doors and through the estate. Xiang raced through the hallways until he found a window. He leaped forward and broke through the clear glass. Xiang landed in the courtyard and looked above. The helicopter hovered above him and it came down lower once it spotted Xiang. A rope ladder came down and he grabbed the rope and began to fly away from the burning house. As he blew through the air, the light from the estate grew until it suddenly collapsed only leaving a trail of smoke rising into the sky.

* * *

><p>Arthur and Kiku waited in the meeting room, waiting for the two agent's return. Only three hours had passed since they left but they expected great results. Suddenly a monitor lit up and an image of a guard appeared. He alerted them of Xiang's return. Arthur smiled at the news and they waited eagerly.<p>

A few knocks came from beyond the door and the doorknob turned. Xiang appeared and walked in front of them and got onto his knee and raised his head. "Mission accomplished."

Arthur grinned but Kiku stared. "Where is Dawn?"

"She died," he answered simply.

"That is unfortunate," Kiku stated. "But everything went well?"

"There weren't any problems. The estate was burned and no evidence of me being there was left."

"Excellent. Our organization will profit from this greatly." Kiku turned to Arthur. "Your creation is a success. I expect him to grant our organization great power and fortune in the future."

"Don't worry Kiku-sama. He is the perfect assassin. Given the most gruesome and intense training. I'm certain that he can accomplish any mission we offer him."

Kiku nodded and excused them. The two exited the room and walked calmly through the halls. Arthur was incredibly proud of Xiang's accomplishment and removed his watch and handed it to Xiang. The Asian looked at the object curiously. "You deserve it. You have done well." Xiang continued to stare at the watch but slid it into his pocket regardless of his confusion. "From now on, you'll be getting five percent of the profits. You can do whatever you want with it as well."

The two continued to walk until they came to the end of the hall. Arthur opened the door and Xiang looked around the room. "I arranged a room for you. You'll be living here so we can call on you when you're needed. Get some rest now, this will be your new life from now on and only more doors will open for us." Arthur closed the door and Xiang took a moment to examine his room.

Xiang went over to his bed and landed on the cool sheets, closing his eyes to see darkness and awaiting their opening.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Hetalia. All rights go to Hidekaz Himaruya

**Update~ How was it? Review please. Sorry if there wasn't as much action or romance but something of Xiang's past had to be revealed. Also Dawn and Jonathan are just random people so don't worry about them. If there are Hetalia characters, you'll know them ;) I needed to introduce Arthur and Kiku but stay tuned for the next chapter for a bit of implied romance ;) Please continue to follow the story my dear readers, bye for now.  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 04: Eternity's Sound

_The sound that is emitted from music isn't just simple notes; it's a projection of what lies in the soul. Each note connecting to another to form a magnificent ensemble _

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_Under the Light_

**_Chapter 4:_**

**_Eternity's Sound_**

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The clouds gently floated by outside the window. Mei found it hard to believe that just a day ago she was in serious danger. After her savior dropped her off, she reported what had happened but she left out who had done it. The police took action and they took her home to her worried brother. He apologized greatly to her but that was the last thing on her mind.

A book slammed onto her desk, breaking her of her daydream. She turned and saw Yue staring at her. "Mei, why are you zoning out so much?"

"Just something I'm thinking of…"

"You want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later… I need to think about it a bit more."

"Hm, alright… Oh! Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"There were several deaths discovered only a day ago."

Mei tensed up but tried to not show it. "R-really?"

Yue grew a bit suspicious but continued. "Yeah, the leader of a corporation was assassinated and this gang got slaughtered. The thing is they happened around the same time."

Mei grew more nervous and avoided Yue's eyes. "T-that's horrible…"

"Okay Mei, something's up. What is it? You know you can trust me with anything."

"Fine…," sighed Mei. "But promise to never tell anyone."

"I promise."

"Okay… you know the night of the concert?"

"Yeah?"

"Well after I left, I was chased by a gang. And from what you told me, I think it was the same one."

"No way. Wait… they're all dead. Don't tell me…"

"No!" interrupted Mei. "I didn't do anything. I got knocked out."

"Then how?"

"Let me finish. When I woke up, I saw someone. I think he's the one who saved me."

"Hmm, I think I know what's bothering you then. You're infatuated with him!"

"What!" Mei began to blush deeply yet was furious. "I am not! I don't even know the person."

Yue giggled and placed her hand on her shoulder. "I'm kidding. I'm surprised that you're worried about that and not the fact that he killed people."

"Well he can't be that bad, right? He saved me instead of hurting me…"

"Either way, you should stop thinking about him. I'm betting that he's responsible for these recent murders in the city. All he could bring is trouble even though he did a good thing by saving you."

"I'll try but there was something about him… anyway remember not to say anything about this."

"I remember Mei, don't worry."

"Good. But I wish I could see him again, just to thank him."

"You're so strange Mei but keeps things interesting," joked Yue.

"Hey!" The two friends began to laugh over their discussion until they finally returned to their usual business of classes.

* * *

><p>Xiang ran through the night, carrying a precious painting. He had snuck into the museum and took the new exhibit and replaced it with a fake. Again making sure to clear his presence of ever being at the museum as well. His mission was accomplished and he was returning to the rendezvous point to drop off the covered painting.<p>

As Xiang ran through the dark city, he noticed the quieted sound of an engine from behind him. Xiang didn't even have to turn around to know he was being followed and pretended to go on as scheduled. As he continued to run, the car continued to follow and he couldn't allow himself to be tailed any longer. Xiang thought up a plan and quickly ran into a nearby convenience store.

The car pulled up to the side of the store and waited for Xiang to emerge. As they waited the side passenger realized that Xiang could escape in the back and went out to continue following him, gaining only a simple warning from his partner. As he neared the entrance, he pulled out his gun; just as a precaution. He entered the store and moved around slowly in order to find Xiang. The man wandered the isles, pointing his gun to any sudden movements. He quickly turned around, thinking he heard something but only a bag of chips fell. He went over to inspect the bag and slowly looked to the shelf that held the products. He couldn't regret his decision more as a dark figure leaped from the top and darkened his world.

The man tapped his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, wondering what was taking his partner so long. Without warning, something crashed onto the hood of his car. The man stared at the body, completely stunned as to what came down. Just when he thought the surprises were over, another figure slammed on top of the other, but this one was standing as the hood of the car gave way. The shock from this person had shattered the front glass of his car but before he could do anything, a hand reached out and ripped him from his seat and through the shattered glass shards. The man held on tightly to the arm choking him and when he opened his eyes to see the assailant, he was met with a pair of stoic golden eyes.

"W-what do you want?" he demanded. Xiang made no attempt to answer and quickly slammed him on top of the car. He quickly whipped out a cloth and placed it over the man's face. He struggled but his breathing became sluggish, his vision began to blur and his body became numb until finally he blacked out.

When he finally came to, all he could see was black. He felt a rag or a bag of some sorts covering his face. But when he tried to move, he realized his arms and legs were strapped down to a cold table. He tried with all his strength to break free but it was no use.

"Why were you following me?" asked a voice.

The man realized what situation he was in. He was a prisoner and now Xiang would try to gain information from him. "Let me go! I'm not going to tell you anything!"

"We can finish this quickly if you just talked. Or we can do this the difficult way. Either way, you're going to die."

The man remained silent. Xiang sighed and lifted a hose. "Looks like we'll do this the hard way." Xiang hung the hose directly over the man and turned on the water.

The water began to drip out as a start but he could hear the water rushing through the hose. The liquid quickly rushed out and poured onto the bag on the man's face. The surface of the bag instantly became soaked and the man's breathing became more desperate. Within the next few seconds, he began to gag uncontrollably for air, even though the water didn't prevent him from gaining air. He could feel his mind panicking, wanting air like never before. He struggled desperately to get free but the water continued to flow for minutes until it came to an abrupt stop. Even though the water ceased, the man's breathing didn't slow down, as if he still felt like he was being drowned.

Xiang lifted the bag out and stared at the man. "Are you going to talk now?"

The man blinked his eyes a couple of times as he took long breaths. "F-fine," he spat. "We w-were following you to kill you."

"Why?"

"B-because someone hired us to…"

"Who?"

"I-I can't tell you that! If I do, he'll destroy me!"

Xiang looked disappointingly at the man but shrugged. "Hmm, I see. Farewell." Xiang took the cloth bag and used his free hand to twist the man's skin, almost to the point of tearing it off. The man screamed loudly but Xiang used the chance to run the cloth down the man's throat. The man flung his body in a desperate yet useless attempt to survive. Xiang reengaged the water and turned it on full blast, drowning him in the stream of water.

Xiang stepped out of the warehouse as if nothing had happened. He grabbed the painting from its hiding spot and continued to the rendezvous point.

Arthur waited patiently for Xiang to arrive, trying not to show any worry of his lateness. To his relief, Xiang arrived with the painting in hand. Arthur approached him and retrieved the painting.

"Good job Xiang. However, why were you late?"

"My apologies. I was being followed by two men so I tortured them for information. I only learned so much before I killed them."

"That's surprising. What did you learn?"

"They were hired to kill me and the one who hired them is someone powerful."

"They have information on you…" stated Arthur. The Brit thought for a moment and finally came to a decision. "We'll have to take measurements against this. Listen Xiang, this may be a desperate move but it's the only thing I can think of. You'll have to lay low for a while, just until we find out who's responsible for this. So until then, you won't be going on any missions, you'll have to live a normal life."

Xiang stared at him with a puzzled gaze. "Normal life?"

"Yes Xiang, a normal life. I know of a place for you to go to. This school will be good for you."

"A school?"

"More of an academy. All the students there are splendid. You should be able to blend in just fine."

Xiang doubted Arthur but he had no choice but to agree. "Very well. I assume I'll choose my own living arrangements?"

"You may do so. You should have more than enough money to get your own place. But the school is also a type of boarding school so you'll only need this place on the weekends. During the week, you'll have a dorm."

"I already have a place. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I'm going to give you rules. You are not allowed to break them unless it is a dire situation. Number one; no one most know who you truly are. Second; you're not allowed to kill anyone. Third; blend in and act as a normal person. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good. You'll begin first thing in the morning so rest up. We'll handle everything from your classes to uniform."

Xiang nodded and the two returned back to headquarters for the night. Except it was certain that Arthur wouldn't be getting much rest as he busily worked on placing Xiang in the academy.

* * *

><p>Mei let out a long yawn as she walked to the academy with Yue. She rubbed her eyes delicately in an attempt to wake herself. "Why do we always get up so early?"<p>

"It's not that early Mei. And you're one of the school representatives. You need to maintain a good image."

"I know that, but they should have class later."

"They should but they don't so just deal with it."

Before Mei could answer, a line of girls ran past her, all gossiping about something. "What was that about?"

"Let's check it out." The two ran after the girls, following them to the parking lot. The moment they stopped, they saw a horde of girls surrounding something. In the center of the group was a young man, in the standard black and red academy uniform along with a black leather jacket. He sat on a dark motorcycle, his helmet masking his face.

A sudden sense of déjà vu overwhelmed Mei as she stared at the figure. "Who is that?"

"I'm not sure. Mei? You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah. That guy just seems… familiar."

Whispers and murmurs began to go on as the young man just sat there. He suddenly turned his head, silencing everyone but he turned straight toward Mei, freezing her in place. He jumped off of the motorcycle and quickly removed his helmet. A pair of golden eyes gazed at her as his dark brown hair blew slightly in the wind. Mei blushed slightly from being stared at but no one noticed as they began whispering to each other, commenting on his looks.

He ignored the gossip and locked his things and took his first step. As he walked, all eyes followed him but Mei still stood frozen in place. As he neared her, her nervousness and anticipation grew. Only a few steps separated them until, to her relief, he walked passed her. He continued his path, not even attempting to look back as the group of girls followed him.

Yue waved her hand in front of Mei's face, "Hello? Mei?"

Mei's mind reentered her body and shook her head. "Huh? What happened?"

"You were in a trance or something. Why did you get like that?"

"I… don't know."

Yue pondered Mei's answer for a few seconds before she let out a soft giggle. "Someone has a crush~"

"I do not!" Mei's face had already become full blown red as Yue laughed.

"I'm just teasing. Let's get to class and see if anyone knows that guy. Or rather your crush," before Mei could protest, Yue grabbed her hand and took her to class just before the bell rung.

The two took their seats, noticing that the class was buzzing with gossip of the mysterious young man. The instructor soon entered, silencing the room. She began writing on the black board as everyone tried to copy the notes. She finished quickly and stood in front of the class, ready to speak until a knock at the door interrupted. The teacher went over to the door and began to whisper to someone else. After a few more seconds, the teacher returned to her position. What was strange was that she held a different expression.

"Class, please pay attention. We have a new student. You may enter now." The door opened and most of the class gasped. The young man from earlier was the new student. "Please introduce yourself."

"My name is Xiang Gang Kirkland."

The teacher nodded. "Good. Is there anything you'd like to say?"Xiang shook his head. "Alright, would the class like to ask him anything?"

"Do you have a girlfriend!" blurted a student. Xiang shook his head and the class exploded in an uproar. Female students began to fire off questions, trying to gain any personal info about Xiang. The teacher tried to calm them down but girls continued to argue and ask. Xiang stood in front of the class, still uninterested in their questions. He looked around the classroom, looking for his seat when he spotted it next to Mei, who happened to be sleeping soundly.

Xiang felt slightly annoyed by her attitude to actually be sleeping. He began to walk toward her, silencing the class as they focused on his action. He stopped right in front of the unexpecting girl and lightly tapped her head. She opened her eyes and looked around the class, realizing what she was doing.

"You shouldn't be sleeping in class," he stated. Mei flushed from embarrassment from being told the rules by a new student. And it only added to her shame since the entire class was staring at her. Many of the girls glared at her with jealousy for being the first one Xiang spoke to. Xiang went into his seat next to Mei, ignoring everyone.

Now that the class was calmer, the teacher could continue with the instruction. Everyone in class desperately tried to take notes on the lesson, since the teacher spoke quickly. When Mei took a glance over to Xiang, she was shocked to find him resting on his arms and staring in front of him. Mei grinned at the chance to get back at him for earlier that class period but the teacher suddenly announced a surprise quiz. Everyone in class groaned as she handed out the quiz. They were allowed to use their notes but Mei still stared at the piece of paper in front of her. Mei look around the class and others carried the same deadpanned expression. Mei glanced at Xiang and saw him lazily writing his answers down. Mei turned her attention back to her own test and began, finding it easier as she went on. The tests were soon finished and everyone was given free time as she graded the tests. Immediately the girls surrounded Xiang's desk.

Not wanting to be around the horde, Mei went over to where Yue sat. "Hey Mei, you okay?" asked Yue.

"I'm fine. But that new guy bugs me."

"Just because of that thing this morning?"

"Yes! That was really embarrassing…"

"Well it's kind of your fault for sleeping right?"

"Yeah but… it doesn't matter, I'm going to get back at him somehow."

Yue sighed, "Mei…" she shook her head disapprovingly but knew it wouldn't work with such a stubborn girl. "So how are you going to get back at him?" she continued.

"Well he's new right? So whatever he's bad at, I'll be able to exploit that."

"I think that's a bit cruel."

"Well I won't have to do much. He didn't take any notes for that test. He couldn't have done that well."

"We can see now. She's handing back the tests."

Just as Yue said, she handed back the tests to their respective owners. Many of the others groaned, showing that they didn't get the score they desired. Mei looked at her score and got a perfect score. She grinned proudly and got up to go to her seat. After the class settled down, she peered over to Xiang's desk, seeing his test laid out. But to her shock and disappointment, he got a perfect score as well. But these weren't the only things that she felt. She was infuriated that he could succeed so easily. She waited for the bell to ring and she couldn't be happier to get out of class. But the rest of her day didn't turn out much better.

Throughout the entire day, Xiang appeared everywhere. During lunch, the cafeteria was so loud with girls fawning over him that she couldn't enjoy her meal. In gym, Xiang performed every single activity perfectly, impressing the girls even further, gaining the respect of almost all the guys and even the teachers were astounded by him. Mei was completely sick of how perfect he seemed to be but what bothered her was that he didn't even seem to make an effort. She was glad that the last class of the day arrived, music. Where she could play her piano and forget all about her grudging day.

Mei collapsed into her bench, glad that she could finally escape from "Mr. Perfect." But just as she was about to play, the teacher made an announcement. To her horror and anticipation, Xiang was again part of her class. Trying not to let that fact get to her, she rested her hands on the keys and played.

Her solo symphony. Where she could just indulge herself as much as she wanted, without others to distract her. When she finished her piece and opened her eyes. She was surprised to see Xiang leaning on his elbow and staring directly at her.

Mei blushed, "W-what are you staring at?"

"There's something different about you," he stated. "You aren't like the other girls and your playing… has something… alluring to it."

Mei shook her head and gave him a stare. "Instead of staring, why don't you play your own music?"

Xiang shrugged and went over to find himself an instrument. Xiang was completely baffled at the choices and never in his life had he played an instrument. As he looked over his choices, he spotted one that he did see before, a violin. He picked up the wooden instrument and held it delicately in his hands. Mei tapped her fingers on the board, patiently awaiting his performance.

Xiang looked around to see other violinists and mimicked their stance, placing the violin at his shoulder and holding it with his jaw. He rested the bow onto the strings and dragged it across the strings. Instead of creating the sound he wanted, a large screeching was emitted. He tried again but the results were the same. Mei couldn't hold back her laughter as Xiang continued.

"Looks like you can't do everything perfectly."

Xiang gave her an angry glare as he placed the violin back in its case. Without saying anything, he turned around and stormed off. Mei pouted at his immaturity but after a few seconds realized how mean she was. As soon as she got up to find him, the bell ran and everyone quickly left class. Mei tried to find him but he was gone.

Mei rushed out of the classroom, her guilt eating at her insides. She searched but Xiang seemed to completely disappear. Mei sighed and told herself she would apologize tomorrow but for now she had to go to her dorm room.

When she returned to her room, she felt a sense of relief that the day was finally over. When she took out her key, she could hear something from beyond her door and she quickly opened the door. She rushed in and to her complete surprise, Xiang was in her room but that wasn't the only thing she was thinking.

"What are you doing here!" she yelled.

"I'm your roommate," he answered.

"B-but I'm supposed to have a single room."

"Xiang took out a sheet of paper and handed it to her. Mei looked confused but read.

'Dear Mei Mei Wang,

As you can see, Xiang Gang Kirkland will be your new roommate. We're sure you're confused but there is a reasonable explanation. You see, all the dormitories in the boy's building are completely full so we had no choice but to place him in the girl's dormitory. And seeing as we had to, we thought it best to place him with you since you're one of the finest and responsible students at the academy. So please take care of our new student,

Sincerely,

The administration'

"You've got to be kidding me," blurted Mei.

"It's the truth," stated Xiang.

Mei looked up from the sheet and stared at Xiang, seeing that he was serious. "Fine then, but we're setting some ground rules. First; this is my side of the room. Second, my shower time is 6:30 – 7:30, you can have it afterwards. Third; you better not try anything funny with me."

Xiang just shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."

"Good. Then I'll be taking my shower now."

"Fine, I'm heading out to do something anyway."

"Hey, you're not allowed to do that. It's almost curfew." She was completely ignored as the door just shut in front of her. "Fine! It's not my fault if you get in trouble!"

* * *

><p>Mei stayed in the shower for a unusually long time, trying to gather her thoughts. As she cleaned herself, she realized she forgot to apologize for earlier but obviously, recent events made her forget. She promised herself that she would definitely apologize as soon as she saw him again.<p>

Mei stepped out of her shower, wrapping a towel around her dripping body and went out to the room to find her pajamas. She began to change when the door clicked and opened. She turned around quickly and saw that Xiang had returned but at the same time, she turned bright red. She let out a high shriek and began to toss anything she could get her hands on directly at Xiang. The Cantonese boy lifted his hands up to defend himself and easily knocked the objects aside until Mei finally ran out of things to throw. Mei tried to cover up her body with her towel, still keeping her eyes on Xiang when he oddly bended down to pick up the clothes she tossed at him.

He went over to her and placed the girl's clothes in her hands. Through the entire event, Xiang's facial expression didn't change whatsoever, "Don't be so dramatic," he stated bluntly. Xiang went over to his bed and lay down on the soft mattress.

Mei tried to register what just happened but as she repeated it over and over, she couldn't understand what Xiang just did. Either way, she changed quickly and walked over to him cautiously. "Why did you just do that? Normally no one would ever act so calmly."

"Do what? Like I would try anything to you."

Mei felt somewhat annoyed with his answer but thought about it for a second. Xiang wasn't too bad of a guy, since he actually listened to her rules, despite being odd as well. "Well thank you. Oh and uh… I'm sorry for laughing at you earlier. That was really rude of me."

Xiang turned around to his back and let out a sigh. "It's nothing."

Mei felt satisfied with his answer and plopped onto her bed. But she still tried to understand Xiang's puzzling personality.

* * *

><p>The entire female population of the academy was gossiping about Xiang. Many of the girls also glared at Mei with jealousy at how she got to be Xiang's roommate. A few paid no attention to the new student and the rest hammered Mei with questions.<p>

Mei sighed, "It's nothing really. He seems like an okay guy but after he moved in, he rarely shows up. It's like he's not even there."

The girls were disappointed with the answer. Even though the truth of the matter was that Xiang didn't socialize with anyone. After the end of each class, he disappeared almost instantly to the next. Even in music, instead of playing, he stared at music sheets. The same routine continued for a week and at the same time, Mei's curiosity grew, wondering where her roommate went off to everyday.

Mei lied quietly on her bed as the sun was about to set. She looked over and saw Xiang's empty bed as usual. She thought about it for a second and soon after, she sprang up from her bed. It was faint, but she could hear something out of her cracked opened window. Swiftly she opened the window further until she could hear a distinct sound of vibrations in the air. She could hear a violin.

The Taiwanese girl ran through the hallways and up the stairs, the music getting louder and clearer as she ran. There was something different about this playing. It hit a chord within her mind and something deeper. She could feel that it was within each and she saw she was behind the door to the rooftop. She moved toward the doorknob and slowly turned it. The sudden flow of light blinded her slightly but she looked around the find the roof top garden. A glass dome covered the garden to prevent the weather from damaging the delicate plants but it was filled to the brim with all kinds of vegetation.

She wandered through the maze of flowers and trees, following the sound of the music. "Hello? Is anyone there?" she yelled. Almost immediately, the music ceased. Knowing that someone heard her, she found a clearing and a violin sat on a bench. Mei stepped over to the wooden instrument, disappointed that the violinist left. Without saying anything else, she turned around and went to find her way back.

Mei walked around the garden aimlessly, knowing that she was lost. Oddly enough during her walk, a piano sat at the corner of a clearing. With the memory of the music earlier, she walked over to the piano and sat down. She inspected it and saw it was finely tuned. She pressed a few keys, listening for the clear notes emitted until she got a feel for the sound. Mei smiled and closed her eyes, trying to remember the elegant tone, rhythm and melody.

The flow of memories returned to her and her hands moved accordingly to match the music. Mei adjusted the song only slightly to better compliment the piece in her memories. Mei opened her eyes slowly, still continuing to play. She turned her head slightly, hearing the sound of footsteps. Mei stopped her playing, waiting for someone to emerge but along with her silence, the footsteps ceased. Going on a hunch, Mei returned her attention to playing the song. To her joy, the footsteps returned and came closer.

Without warning, the sound of a violin erupted, creating the complex song she had heard before. To her astonishment, the violinist matched her tempo, both of them remaining in sync with the other. The song seemed to be revived with new life, something that either couldn't accomplish alone. The song came to a gradual and soft ending, but such a performance had an effect on Mei's mind and soul.

She opened her eyes and turned to where she heard the violin. Her eyes instantly grew wide and it shocked her to see Xiang holding the violin and bow. She wanted to say something but she couldn't' fathom why or how he was able to reach such skill. Xiang made no movement to talk, as if he wanted her to say something.

Mei thought for a second and figured her most typical question that she would end up asking anyway. "How did you get that good?" she asked.

Mei could've sworn Xiang had a small smile on his face but if he did, the smile disappeared but he still held a pleased look on his blank face. "I've been practicing," he answered simply.

"B-but that's not normal," she exclaimed. "From what I heard a week ago, it was like you never picked up a violin in your life."

"That is true."

Mei stared dumbfounded. Xiang really wasn't your typical person. "Okay one last thing. Could I see your hands?"

Xiang gave her a funny looked but complied and offered his hands. Mei took them carefully and examined the tip of his fingers. She could feel the callous that developed, he was telling the truth. He must've been practicing for hours on end. But something puzzled her; why would he do this? Was it because of what she said?

As she held his hand, something struck her memory. His hands felt familiar, like a distant memory that she pushed out of her mind. She looked up to see his face to see him staring back at her. "You done?" he asked.

She nodded and released his hands. Xiang picked up his violin and began to walk away, prompting Mei to follow. After a few quick turns, they soon came to the entrance and made her way back to their room. Mei plopped onto her soft bed and looked over to Xiang who sat on his. Only as her eyes became heavy did she realize how exhausted she was. As she drifted off, one thought remained in her mind. The sound of Xiang's music that would echo through her world.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I don't own Hetalia

**Whoa! This was a bit longer than the other chapters but I got it done. Sorry if there wasn't much action in it but I needed a way to establish the two's relationship and that ended with a long chapter. But there's a lot of implied romance, no? Well anyway, reviews are greatly appreciated. Stay tuned for the next chapter because that will have a bit more romance to it and a bit more action I guess. **

**Oh and another thing, don't expect much updates from me within the next 2 weeks because I have AP and IB tests to do and focus on. Bye for now my dear readers.**


	5. Chapter 05: Reserved Sentiments

_Even the coldest and darkest heart can be melted and lit with strong enough emotions. But it all depends if the message can be received through those hardships that are sure to come._

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_Under the Light_

**_Chapter 5:_**

**_Reserved Sentiments_**

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The sun was unusually bright as its rays beat down on the courtyard. Mei and Yue lay against a large tree, trying to gain some relief from the intense sun. The two stared into the lush grass, their strength seemingly consumed by the heat. As a slight breeze blew past them; the two lifted their heads to enjoy the cooling wind. Yue opened her eyes to see two figures walking to them. As the figures came closer, a smile appeared on Yue's face. She rose from her spot and ran up to give the person a tight embrace.

"Tai, when did you get back?" Yue leaned her head back slightly to see the same old glasses he wore and his slightly dark brown hair.

"Well, I wanted to surprise you but I just came back."

"You should've just called but it's good to have you back."

"Thanks Yue. Oh have you heard about the new transfer student?"

"Yeah, he's in all of Mei's classes. But doesn't seem sociable."

"That's silly, he's right behind me." Yue gave him a funny look and peered over his shoulder to find Xiang just staring off into the sky. "I just found him standing alone. I asked the others why they wouldn't hang out with him but they said he was too intimidating. And there was a huge crowd of girls stalking him or something. So I invited him over and he just went with it."

"But that's kind of true."

"Nonsense. He might not talk a lot or have an unapproachable presence but he's a cool guy."

"I'll take your word for it." Yue released him from her hug and instead held his hand as they walked back to the tree. The couple sat down next to a sleepy Mei. Xiang followed and took a seat next to Mei, who was too drowsy to realize who was sitting next to her. Her fatigue took effect and she leaned on Xiang's shoulder as a pillow. Xiang only turned his head slightly to see the sleeping girl but didn't make any attempt to move.

The group sat at the tree, without any care but at the same time, they grew more restless. In an instant, Tai sat up straight, an idea forming in his head. "Hey guys, why don't we go to the pool? We can have fun and beat the heat."

"That sounds like fun," Yue commented with a smile. "Mei. Hey Mei. What do you think?"

The girl stirred slightly as she opened her eyes. "Huh?" She blinked a few more times before she realized what she was resting on. She flushed and sat up straight. "W-What did you say?"

Yue chuckled, "Do you want to go to the pool with us?"

"Oh, sure!"

"Great! Let's meet back at the pool in half an hour. You can come along too Xiang," exclaimed Tai.

Xiang shrugged, "sure." Mei was about to protest when a large group of girls squealed. The group, excluding Xiang, turned and saw that a group of girls watching Xiang had made the sounds.

"What was that about?" asked Tai.

"That was Xiang's 'fan club", answered Mei.

"He has a fan club? He must be pretty popular then, but why were they screaming?'

"They probably want to see Xiang at the pool."

"That's weird but anyway, let's get going."

The group rose from their spot and began to lead to their rooms to get their bathing suits. In this case however, Xiang and Mei walked down the halls by themselves. Mei felt awkward around him but tried to ignore the feeling. The two entered their room and began to grab their necessities. Xiang quickly picked up his things when something caught his eyes. He walked over to the dresser and on top of the wooden surface was a golden locket. He reached out to examine it but it was quickly snatched up. Xiang turned his head to see Mei glaring at him.

"Don't touch this," she growled.

"Why? What is it?" he asked, curious.

Mei opened her hands to look at the locket. "It's the last thing I have to remember my parents. It's precious to me."

Xiang only stared blankly at her. 'Precious?' he thought. Xiang couldn't understand the concept. It was completely foreign to him. Despite this, he wanted to understand. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, you didn't know." Mei placed her locket around her neck and made sure it was secure. "Ready to go?"

Xiang nodded and two headed down to the pool. They parted ways when they reached the building to their respective locker rooms. The girls' locker room was crowded and Mei knew it was Xiang's fan club. She ignored them and quickly changed into her white bathing suit and went out to the pool. She saw that Yue and Tai had already arrived and they were waiting for them.

"Where's Xiang?" asked Tai.

"I think he's still changing."

"Guys, he just came out," announced Yue.

Mei turned around and blushed slightly. Xiang stepped out with a towel thrown over his shoulder but what surprised Mei was how 'fit' Xiang looked. The sight was breathtaking. He began to walk toward them while his fan club swooned over his rippling abs. He finally reached the group and Mei was still speechless and attempting to calm herself.

"Xiang, now that you're here, we can finally start," exclaimed Tai.

Xiang shrugged and Tai led the group to the deep end of the pool. Mei stared into the clear blue waters as other swimmers dived into the rippling waters. "So what should we do?" asked Yue.

Tai gently tapped against his noggin with his fingers, trying to think of something. He opened his eyes with a start and grinned brightly. "Let's race each other!"

"Sounds like fun," the girls exclaimed. Xiang just shrugged like he usually did but Tai took it as a 'yes.' The group began to walk towards the platforms when someone from across the pool began to whistle out. Xiang turned curiously to them when Mei just grabbed onto his arm and continued to pull him to their spot.

"Don't pay attention to them," whispered Mei. "That's Sean's gang. They're nothing but trouble at the academy but no one can prove that they do illegal things here."

Xiang understood what Mei was saying but he couldn't care less about the gang. They were no threat to him but as they continued to whistle at Yue and Mei, something greatly annoyed him about their act. But he took Mei's advice and just continued to follow the group to the platforms.

"Okay, there seem to be enough lanes for all of us. Get ready to lose guys."

"I don't think so," commented Yue. Mei giggled at their banter and the group got on their respective platforms. Mei took a deep breath, feeling the smell of chlorinated water enter her nose. "Okay guys, when I say go we start." The group nodded in response. "1…2…3…Go!"

The four leaped off the edges and splashed into the waters. Mei could feel the initial cold of the water but it quickly disappeared as she began to swim ahead. But as she swam, she could see Xiang had overtaken all three of them. This only fueled Mei's drive as she swam harder to try and catch up to him. She rushed through the water finally getting to swim back to where they started. Mei ignored the others around her and just swam. Her hands touched the smooth tiles of the walls.

Her head broke through the surface of the water, breathing heavily. She looked behind her shoulder to see Yue and Tai still swimming towards her and turned slightly to see Xiang already resting on the wall. Mei pouted slightly at being beaten by Xiang but it quickly turned into a smile, since it was a game.

Something seemed different however. Or rather, something was missing, literally. Mei placed her hand on her neck and fear and worry struck her heart. Her locket wasn't around her neck. She began to panic and began to look around for any sign of her precious locket. Knowing that it was somewhere at the bottom of the pool, she dived deep down to the floor, searching. She could only see so far because of the water depth but searched regardless. She could feel her lungs' desire for air but she couldn't abandon her locket. As she continued to swim, she could see a faint glimmer. She rushed toward it and she knew instantly that it was her locket. She reached out to grab it but the chain was stuck on a vent. Mei pulled against the vent but it wouldn't budge in the least. But Mei didn't realize that her air was up and she began to gasp for air, letting the water freely flow into her lungs. As Mei's eyes blurred, she could see a shadowy figure getting closer to her.

* * *

><p>Mei coughed violently as she regained her breath. She could feel the stony ground that she was laying on and she could feel someone next to her. She opened her eyes slowly and an image of Yue came into view. All she could hear was the whispering of other students and then a sudden splash. Mei felt her energy drained completely but Yue helped her sit up right.<p>

"Mei, are you okay?" she asked.

"W-what happened?"

"I don't know. You weren't at the spot after the race and Tai and I went to find you but you weren't outside of the water. And then when we looked back into the pool, you were drowning…"

"W-what?" interrupted Mei.

"You were downing. But then we saw Xiang dart pass us and he got you out of the water."

"H-he did?" Mei looked around for him but he was nowhere to be found. Instead she saw other girls glaring at her angrily. Mei raised herself slightly closer to Yue's ear and in a whisper asked, "Why are they glaring at me?"

Yue blushed slightly and Mei could hear a sudden hesitation in her breathing. "Well… after Xiang got you out of the water… he performed CPR on you… in other words, he gave you mouth to mouth…"

Mei's face instantly turned red at what Yue just told her. "H-he…" Mei placed her hands on her lips when a figure emerged from the pool. Mei looked closely and saw Xiang climbing out of the waters. He began to walk over to the crowd and they moved aside to let him through. He got down to Mei's level and dropped something into her hands. Mei looked into her palms and was astounded to see her locket. She looked back up to see Xiang, very grateful.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Mei was slightly surprised to hear him speak but shook it off quickly.

"Y-yeah… thanks." Mei still held her blush as she tried to calm herself down.

"Good." Xiang stood back up and helped Mei up to her feet. Mei's blush deepened with the sudden touch and care but still said nothing as he helped her over to a chair. Xiang stood next to her, just letting her rest.

"W-why did you save me?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't really know why… I just did."

"Well why did you go get my locket? You didn't have to."

"I knew how important it was to you." Xiang paused for a moment. "I may not be able to understand why that locket is important to you, but I'll try to understand."

"That's… really sweet of you."

"It's nothing."

"It is though… really. I'm thankful." Mei gave him a small smile. Yue arrived with a towel in hand for Mei, drying her off as well and breaking the small tension.

"Well after that, I suppose we should just go back to our rooms and rest," suggested Yue.

Mei nodded, "I think so too. Well let's get changed and head back." Yue helped her out of her seat and the two went to get changed. The locker room was relatively clear of other girls. The two were able to quickly change back into their clothes and went out to the front of the building. There Xiang and Tai were already in wait. "You guys change fast," she commented.

"Hmm, maybe you girls just change slow," teased Tai. Yue went over and playfully hit Tai in the arm. Tai only laughed at the act and held her hand. "So let's go then."

"Sure." Yue turned to Mei and Xiang, "I trust you two can handle yourselves?"

"Of course we can," chirped Mei.

"Okay then, see you guys tomorrow then." Tai and Yue then walked off to their rooms and Mei and Xiang began their own journey back to the dorms.

The sun's golden light began to set on the campus as the two walked back to their room. Mei's throat slightly itched from the incident earlier, making her cough at random moments. Mei reassured Xiang that she was fine but he still held his doubts and worry. The sounds of running came up from behind them and Xiang quickly turned to see a man running towards them. Xiang stopped and waited to see what the man wanted and he stopped in front of the two.

"Who are you?"

The man panted from his run but answered, "My name is James. You see I'm one of the instructors here and I heard someone almost drowned at the pool. The people over at the pool told me she headed this way."

"Oh, that'd be me," announced Mei. "But I'm fine now."

"Oh it's you, well just to be sure; I'd like to take you to the nurse for a checkup. It's better to be safe about this."

"I really am fine but if you insist."

"Good," exclaimed James. "It'll be good to have an escort back so you sir can come along too," he said to Xiang. Xiang just nodded slightly to confirm he would and the two began to follow the man.

The two trailed behind James as he led them. However Mei seemed somewhat lost as she never been to the nurse's office before and was dependent on their guide. "Hey, how long will it be till we get there?" asked Mei.

"Don't worry; this is a shortcut I know of." Mei wasn't satisfied with his answer but she had no choice but to accept it since he remained silent again.

To Xiang, something was off about this person. He was being awfully quiet as he led them. Things began to become more suspicious as he led them down a staircase. The light gradually disappeared and was replaced with the dim lights of hanging lamps. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Positive, it's just beyond here." The small group stood in front of a large metal door and the man opened it. Xiang and Mei stood in front of the dark entrance when a sudden chill struck them.

"This isn't the nurse's office…" commented Mei.

"You're right." The two suddenly felt a hand shove them into the room and the door quickly closing behind them. Before they could react and turn around, the door was already sealed.

The two rushed back to the door but their efforts to open it was useless. Only adding to their panic was the darkness of the room. Xiang felt around for any sign of a switch of some sort. He felt a cold hard box and after a few seconds, he managed to turn on the lights. The room was quickly illuminated by a few dim lights but it didn't change anything about their current situation. They only now knew they were trapped inside a freezer.

Mei slammed her hands at the door, "Let us out! This isn't funny!"

"Mei stay calm. We'll get out," said Xiang.

"There's no way out! We're trapped!" shouted Mei. She began to pound against the cooler's ice cold frame but the thickness of the metal door made all her efforts useless. Xiang looked around the room, trying to come up with a plan but he saw no exits. He walked over to Mei and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You should stop. You're wasting your energy like that and the harder you breathe the more cold air that will enter your body. You'll only freeze faster like this."

"W-what? How can you remain so calm in this situation! We have to get out."

"I said calm down Mei. I know we have to get out but your way won't get you anywhere. We have to remain calm or else we'll never figure this out."

"A-alright then… so what should we do first?"

Xiang stared at her for a moment and thought. "Take of your shirt," he stated bluntly.

Mei instantly grew scarlet at the command. "W-what!"

"I said, take off your shirt."

"Why!" Mei's blush only grew deeper as he repeated his command, if that was possible.

Xiang sighed and got closer to her, making her back up into the cold wall. "If we share our body heat, we'll be able to last longer in here. I'm pretty sure I could last a few hours but I'm worried about you. And the less fabric that gets in the way, the more heat that can transfer."

"Oh, that makes sense... Well turn around, I don't want you seeing my chest." Xiang sighed but complied and turned around. He took his own advice and removed his shirt and jacket. "Okay you can look now." Xiang turned around and saw Mei still red as she covered her front with her shirt. "What now?" she stuttered.

"You don't have to be so shy you know. I'm not going to do anything to you."

"I'm not… okay maybe a little."

Xiang let out a soft chuckle. "Like your red face doesn't tell me. Okay come here." Mei's blush grew deeper as she complied. Xiang laid his t-shirt under him and pulled Mei down with him. He then wrapped his jacket around her shoulders and back as he held her extremely close. "Better?" he asked.

Mei nodded shyly, "Y-yeah… very warm…" The girl snuggled into his chest, appreciating the warmth of his body.

"Okay we can start to form a plan now."

"R-right… what should we do?"

"Well the sun was going down so I'm sure no one is going to be around that late so we can forget about someone trying to find us. And if we wait till morning, we'll freeze far before that. We have about three hours top."

"Maybe we can call someone for help?" she suggested. Mei checked her cell phone but to her disappointment, there was absolutely no signal for her. She assumed it was the thick concrete walls and being underground that did it.

Xiang checked his own phone and to his luck, there was just barely a signal. Acting quickly, he knew his phone wouldn't be able to maintain a call with such a low signal but instead he sent out a text. Xiang closed his phone and placed it back into his pocket. "Who did you message?" asked Mei.

"Just an acquaintance. Hopefully he received the message."

"So we just wait? What if he doesn't come to save us?"

"I'm not sure… We could try and rewire the system but if we make a mistake, we could make things colder or trap ourselves in here."

"Okay its better not to try that if we don't understand the mechanism."

"Right."

"I guess we'll just have to wait then," stated Mei. "We could just talk to pass the time?"

"Alright. I've been meaning to ask, what's so precious about that locket?"

Mei looked at the golden locket as she held it in her hand. "It was the last thing my parents gave to me. They told me to put something that I think is precious to me inside of it." Mei opened it but it was empty. "I haven't found anything that I think is precious… Don't get me wrong or anything. I loved my parents and I love my brother and friends but… I don't know."

"Wait, you 'loved' your parents?"

Mei's face grew solemn, "My parents are dead…"

Xiang became concerned but curious as well. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay… it was just this one night. A drunken person got out of control and he crashed into my parents' car. No one survived."

Xiang hugged her tighter as she leaned into his chest. "I'm alright now though. It makes me sad to think about it but… they lived a good life."

Xiang nodded. "I see. I'm sorry I brought up such a sensitive topic."

"It's alright. You were just curious."

"You didn't have to tell me if it pained you."

"I wanted to… even though you don't show much emotion, I know you still care." Something about her statement struck Xiang. He never heard anyone ever say that to him. "And even though we haven't really known each other for long… I consider you my friend. Like I've known you from a distant memory…"

Xiang felt something wielding up within him. He couldn't distinguish the feeling he felt but it wasn't unpleasant. He looked down to see Mei's face but he turned wide eyed when he saw her eyes closed. He shook her slightly, "Mei? Mei?" She remained unresponsive. Xiang shook her more firmly. "Mei, don't go to sleep. Mei!" He quickly felt her back and it was ice cold. He soon realized that they just got out from the pool. If water still remained on her, it would freeze much faster.

Xiang quickly rose from his spot and wrapped his jacket tightly around her and closed it. A feeling burned within Xiang, unlike all his feelings for anyone in the past, he wouldn't let her die. He quickly ran over to the lighting control. He knew that this act would be dangerous but he didn't care.

Xiang ripped the front cover off of the box and saw the dozens of wires that formed the controls of the box. He began to rip the wires apart, reconnecting some to others. As his thoughts ran through his head, Mei's words were repeated. Never before had anyone ever called him a 'friend.' He knew that if he failed, they would both die, but he wouldn't let that happen.

He looked toward the ceiling and saw the lamps that lit the room. His eyes followed the wires that powered the lamps and went over to the closest spot that he could reach. He grabbed onto the wires and ripped it out. He could feel the electricity burning parts of his flesh but ignored it and stretched out the wires and went over to the box. Taking one of the wires, he connected the electricity to it. The lights above them flickered until Xiang could hear the switch on the doors click.

He quickly grabbed onto the doors and pulled it opened. He ran over to the unconscious Mei and lifted her up and ran out the door, feeling the warmth of the night air in comparison with the freezer. Mei's condition remained unchanged even with the new conditions. Xiang spun his head around, looking for any sign of people. The distant light from a window gave him a location and he ran towards it. Xiang rushed towards the building; Mei was incredibly light to Xiang, making it easier for him to carry her. He finally arrived to the building and a person was lazily typing on the computer.

Xiang's presence surprised him but he went over regardless. "Where's the nurse!" he demanded.

He raised his finger and pointed accordingly. "She's just one floor up," he answered nervously.

Xiang dashed upstairs and found the nurse's office and burst in. The nurse turned around, startled. "Please, she needs help."

The nurse tried to understand the situation but acted and helped Mei onto a bed. After a few examinations, the nurse grabbed an electric blanket and placed it over her, turning it on high. Xiang sat at the side of her bed, staring at her worriedly. "Don't worry, she'll be fine," stated the nurse. "She just needs some rest. You're lucky you got her here in time. I wonder what happened…"

When the nurse turned to see Xiang, he had already disappeared. The nurse went out to the hallway to see where he had gone but it was empty. She walked back to Mei's bed side and said to herself, "What did happen…"

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><p>James leaned against the side of a building as he waited for his phone to pick up. The phone continued to ring until he was only left with the message. He sighed angrily but thought it best to leave a voice message. He waited and the tone alerted him.<p>

"Hey it's me. The plan was a success and I trapped him inside a freezer along with some other girl. I'm sure no one will find them at this hour and they'll freeze to death by morning. I'll bring you the body after a few days but call me back to confirm my payment."

James hung up his phone as it clapped closed. He placed the device back into his pocket when he heard the rustle of a bush. He quickly turned to the sound and could see a darkened figure under the tree. He became nervous; if the person overheard his conversation, he would definitely be in trouble. He pulled out a gun from his coat and pointed it the figure. "You! Over there, show yourself now or I'll shoot."

The figure made a few steps forward and his face began to be illuminated by the moon light. However, the face that had finally revealed itself was a nightmare to James. The same pair of golden eyes that he thought he locked away was now staring straight at him. In a monotone voice, "Who were you talking to?"

"Y-you… It c-can't be. I was sure that would kill you!" His hands began to shake uncontrollably as he held it toward Xiang.

"You didn't answer my question," stated Xiang.

"Like I'm going to tell you!" he yelled.

An unfamiliar spark appeared in Xiang's eyes. "I would hope that you wanted to do things the hard way." Without warning, Xiang blasted off from his position and ran straight towards James. Going on his reflex, James began to fire at Xiang who zigzagged, dodging the bullets as he came closer to the man. Only an inch separated them as Xiang came extremely close to James and promptly grabbed his face and slammed the back of his head into the stone wall behind him. He instantly blacked out from the impact and fell to the cold ground as Xiang starred at his motionless body.

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><p>James opened his eyes to see a white ceiling as several lamps lined the top as well. He turned his head to see other desks and the window. He tried to rise from his position but his body wouldn't budge. He looked from under his chin and saw that he was strapped down to a table and whatever was holding him was digging into his skin. It wasn't any normal rope either; it was metal wires that could literally cut through his skin if he struggled too much.<p>

A single lamp suddenly flashed on right next to him and a figure walked up next to him. He turned his head as much as he could and he saw Xiang giving him a deadly gaze. "I'm going to ask you again. Who ordered you to try and kill me?"

"Ha! As if I'm going to tell you. Nothing you do to me will even work. I enjoy pain!" cried James.

Xiang gave him a disgusted look but took a step back. "Is that so? Then you'll enjoy this very much." Xiang pulled on a thick pair of rubber gloves and picked up a flask filled with something. He held the flask delicately in his hand as he picked up a dropper. He used the small utensil and sucked up some of the liquid from the flask and placed the dropper directly over James' right arm. "Tell me how this feels." He squeezed the dropper and a small drop of the liquid dropped out and touched his shoulder.

In an instant, James screamed as he could feel something burning through his shirt and then straight to his flesh. Xiang just watched as he squirmed against the burning sensation until finally the searing pain ebbed away. James glared at Xiang angrily as sweat ran down his face. "W-what was that?" he spat.

"You didn't enjoy it?" he asked, a smirk developing on his lips.

James scoffed, "T-that was nothing! Now tell me what it was!"

"Very well, see this here?" Xiang held up the flask into the light so he could clearly see the liquid swishing around. "This is twelve molar perchloric acid." James' eyes turned wide as he finally understood what that burning sensation was. "I'll make sure it eats through your flesh."

Xiang grabbed on to the front of his shirt and ripped it off from his body. He took his dropper and placed it over James' arm once again and dropped more of the deadly acid onto it. He cried out in pain as he struggled hopelessly to escape the pain. Xiang however wouldn't give him any relief as he continued to slowly drop acid onto different parts of his arm. Xiang continued until his dropper ran dry of acid and James panted heavily. He turned his head slightly and saw his arm completely disfigured from the acid as blood cracked through the burns.

"Are you going to talk now?" asked Xiang.

"N-never…"

"Very well then. I'll give you an award for being so resilient." Xiang walked closer to James' shoulder. "Hmm you say you like pain so you must be a masochist and possibly you hurt yourself for enjoyment? And this arm of yours looks like it's giving you a lot of pain." Xiang took his dropper and filled it back up with acid. "I'll be sure to give you a much greater pain."

Xiang released all the acid that was being held inside the dropper directly on top of his shoulder as he screamed once again. The only difference this time was the quantity that burned away at him. Xiang placed his flask and dropper down on a separate desk and untied James' arm. Before he could do anything however, Xiang took hold of the arm and dug his foot into the side of his body. Without wasting another moment he pulled against the arm as James screamed even louder until his muscles began to tear and his arm came off.

An unbelievable pain struck him as he howled in sheer agony. Xiang held the disembodied arm from its shoulder as it dangled lifelessly. Xiang then gripped the arm tightly and swung it down as it smacked James in the face. Xiang repeated the process, the fingers and limbs dangled out of control. Soon enough Xiang grew bored with the process and discarded the limb onto the ground.

James gave Xiang the greatest glare he could muster but at the same time, his fear of him was exponential. Xiang returned a rhetorical glare and smirk, "You don't like hitting yourself, hmm?"

James was speechless. He knew anything he said that Xiang didn't like would only induce more torture and if he didn't, it would happen anyway. However he knew either way, he would end up dead. But any kind of relief was a tremendous blessing to him, even if it was for a second.

"Looks like you won't talk… Hmm I've wasted enough time with you." Xiang took his flask of acid leaving the dropper on the table. "But you still must pay for what you did." The flask hovered over his body until he came just below his stomach and Xiang poured a bit of the acid directly onto the spot.

James cried out in torment but Xiang didn't stop there. He continued to pour acid all over his body until the last amount was aimed directly over his mouth as James continued to yell out. Xiang said nothing as he poured the rest of the liquid down his throat. James' screams were turned into a gurgling sound until he became completely motionless, finally escaping all the pain.

* * *

><p>Xiang stepped out of the chemistry lab and still wore his rubber gloves as he carried the flask he used. He realized that he broke one of Arthur's rules by killing the man but then again, it was a situation that called for it. As he walked out of the empty building, he could see someone at the corner of another building.<p>

Xiang glided close to the two but he hid himself within the shadows. Now that he was closer, he could see that it was a familiar face he saw earlier that afternoon. It was Sean and it seemed he was exchanging drugs with someone. The exchange ended just as he arrived however and the dealer left Sean with his drugs. A plan formed within Xiang's mind as he crept up behind Sean. The Cantonese boy easily knocked out the other with a simple chop to the back of the neck and took the glass flask he still had.

Xiang held up one of Sean's hands and dragged the tip of the flask against the hand until blood was drawn from the small crack on the flask's edge. After the blood was on the tip, he dropped the hand and looked back up to the chemistry building where the body lay.

Xiang took out his phone and messaged Arthur to ignore the message he sent earlier and walked back to the building.

* * *

><p>The morning sun rose naturally as it lit the medical wing's room. Mei stirred slightly as she opened her eyes to see Xiang's head lying on the edge of her bed. Her eyes spread open instantly as she sat up, realizing what had happened and confused at how they escaped. She took a closer look at Xiang and saw a few burns on his skin and smiled slightly when she realized he had saved her, even at his own risk.<p>

Xiang opened his eyes to the emergence of the light and sat up to see Mei smiling at him. Somehow, a small smile formed on his face. A great amount of relief fell upon him now that he knew Mei was alright.

The two quickly got up from their respective resting spots and looked at the time, knowing that class would be starting soon the two quickly ran to their room to get their supplies and headed to class. As usual, the class was bustling with noise as they maintained their typical activities.

Just as the teacher was about to begin the lesson, the door burst open with policemen entering the class. Almost everyone was startled at the sudden entrance but the cops held a stern and serious appearance.

The policemen examined the students of the class and they quickly rushed to the back and surrounded a student. The student however was scared and shocked at the sudden trap. "What do you guys want?" he demanded.

"Is your name Sean?" asked one man.

"Yes," he answered.

"You are under arrest for murder."

"What! This is ridiculous! I didn't kill anyone."

The cops however handcuffed him. "We found your blood at the scene of the crime. You're not going to escape." The police then lifted him out of his seat and forcibly dragged him out of the class. Everyone could hear as Sean screamed down the hallway, "This isn't right! I'm innocent!"

One of the men stayed behind and apologized to the class for the disturbance and quickly exited the room. Everyone began to whisper to one another, completely shocked as to what just happened. Some knew that Sean was a bad person but never expected him to actually murder someone. Mei had a worried expression on her face as she overheard everyone's gossip. She turned her head to see Xiang coolly sitting crossed arm as if nothing had happened.

Somehow Mei's mind was swirling with thoughts. Something really wasn't right. But what made her the most curious was Xiang. So many things had happened ever since he came to the academy and someone deep within, she could sense that he was hiding something. Whatever that secret was, she knew it could bring terrible truth but at the same time, something reassuring as well.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia<strong>

**A/N: Ni Hao everyone, yes I updated, please tell me what you think about the chapter through a review :) I know things got more violent with the torture and all, I just hope it didn't scare you or anything. Oh and don't mind the characters of Sean and James, they were just there because I needed to use somebody. **

**Also big thanks to my reviewers KidOtaku94 and Letter-Reyla :)**

**Oh and also to answer a comment of Letter-Reyla, in the last chapter, Arthur saw that it may have been rushed but necessary to enroll Xiang but I'll answer this more in the next chapter so don't worry. And about the song, it was just a random melody that I could hear within my head. **

**Bye for now my dear readers and testing is almost over! Yay!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 06: Torrid Waters

_A storm begins to blow and crash within one's self, as the sound of thunder roars within the mind and lighting sparks life; but at the same time, this spark can be the fire of rage and love_

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_Under the Light_

**_Chapter 6:_**

**_Torrid Waters_**

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The wind blew gently across the lush green grass and ran straight through the campus grounds. The class walked quietly behind the teacher as he went on about the unique plants that the academy held within the grounds. Obviously the class was already bored, with tired eyes as they dragged themselves in following the teacher.

The academy had to resort to having outside lessons for science due to the incident about two weeks ago. The room that had the corpse was contaminated with the smell of acid and the lingering stench of the body. Also the police were still gathering evidence at the scene even though they arrested the suspect. Actually, private detectives were the true reason behind the investigation. Even though Sean was bad, he still came from a well-off family. They had hired the detectives in order to find any evidence that would prove his innocence but there was nothing they could find. And the evidence against him was very strong; there was his blood at the scene of the crime and he already had a bad record to start with.

Despite the restrictions from the science building, the students couldn't afford to not attend class and thus outside classes were being held. Finally the class halted and they rested in a grassy clearing. The teacher took out a clip board and began to scribble something down. As they waited, Mei and Yue began to talk with one another while Xiang and Tai remained silent and enjoyed the nice weather.

"Okay class, pay attention. Now I know there haven't been many assignments in the class for the past two weeks and because of this, we're falling behind. So to compensate for this, we'll be doing a project." Most of the class groaned at the announcement. "Don't complain. Now you'll be pairing up into a group of two and then you'll decide on a topic based on the environment."

Just as Mei was about to ask Yue, Tai came up from behind and pulled Yue over, beating Mei to the question. Mei looked around quickly, not wanting to be stuck with a bad partner, but the good students were already paired up as others were arguing over who gets to be the other's partner. Mei glanced over to Xiang and saw a group of girls fighting over him.

Silently, Mei sneaked pass the crowd and tapped Xiang lightly on his shoulder, gaining his attention. "You want to be my partner?" she asked.

Xiang shrugged, "I don't care."

"So it's decided," exclaimed Mei. She was glad she got a good partner but suddenly she could feel a group of deadly glares from behind that gave her chills. Mei ignored the on lookers and went over to the teacher to tell him her partner.

The class soon settled down now that everyone made their choices. "Alright class, you'll have the entire weekend to work on this project." The teacher began to hand out papers to each person, "These are the guidelines for the project. Make sure to follow them and if you have any questions, you know how to contact me. That will be all; I wish you all good luck on your projects."

The class began to disperse and go their separate ways for the weekend. Many of the project partners planned to just do certain parts of the project and just put it together. However, that wouldn't work with Mei at all, she would do the project with Xiang, whether they liked it or not.

The two began to walk back to their dorm room, Mei skipping lightly as they did so. "So Xiang… where do you live?"

Xiang gave her a funny look, "Why do you need to know?"

"Well we're going to be going there to work on the project of course, so I have to know."

"Very funny, but no. We're not going to my house."

"Why not?" she whined.

"Because, that's why."

"That is not a legitimate excuse."

"Well I don't usually have people over and why can't we just go to your house?"

"Because my brother has to work for the afternoon and he doesn't like people over at the house if he doesn't know them well enough. Also now you do," she smiled. "Now just give me your address."

Xiang sighed, "I just know I'm going to regret this." Xiang removed a piece of paper from his notebook and scribbled down the location and handed it to Mei.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Xiang still shook his head in disapproval but the deed was done. Mei took a moment to skip ahead as she looked at the piece of paper. Something that astonished her however, was the fact that Xiang's home was nowhere within the city. And the home wasn't anywhere she was familiar with.

She turned her head back to see Xiang, who was still walking idly, and wondered why Xiang was so different compared with anyone she knew.

* * *

><p>"Hurry up Yao-ge," Mei complained. "We're going to be late if we don't hurry."<p>

"Aiyah, I'm ready, let's just go ~aru." Mei checked if she had everything for their project and headed out the door. She waited by the car as a dark haired pony tail waved past her and to the other side.

The car was finally opened and the two entered the vehicle. The car roared to life when the engine was ignited and the two drove out of the driveway. They began to head down the streets and eventually the GPS led them outside the city.

"Mei, where does your friend live exactly? This is so far out ~aru"

"I'm not sure exactly, he just gave me the address. But so far, there isn't any sign of anyone living out here. I hope he didn't give me the wrong address just to mess with me."

"I'm sure he wouldn't have done that. You both have to work on this project ~aru."

Mei nodded and looked out the window to see the hundreds of trees they passed by. She tried to look further ahead but saw only a sea of healthy and tall trees. She pulled her head back into the car and rested her head against the seat.

Her eyes started to become heavy with sleep as they just waited. She closed her eyes for just an instant when Yao began to shake her awake. "Mei. Mei, wake up ~aru"

Mei sprang up and opened her eyes, "Huh? What?"

"I think we're here ~aru"

"You think?" Mei looked out the window and rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing things correctly.

The grounds looked like they were casted from her dreams. A large metal gate and fence sealed off the main grounds of the estate but as they drove by them, she could clearly see the large garden that surrounded the home, filled to the brim with a large variety of trees and plants. What Mei wondered was why Xiang would have so many plants; it didn't fit his personality at all. The house seemed slightly more fitting but not by too much. The walls were painted a bright white and at different sections of the home, it was lined with rocks, giving it a very natural and appealing appearance. And beside all of those things, it was a very large house, almost too large for any normal person to live in.

Yao stopped in front of the main gate and Mei stepped out of the vehicle, holding her bag close to her as she stared up to the large estate. Yao rolled his window down, "Mei, you sure this is your friend's house right? ~aru"

"Umm yeah, it's the same address."

"Maybe I should come in with you just to be sure. ~aru"

Mei was about to answer when she could see a distant figure walking to the gate. She squinted her eyes and saw what looked like Xiang. "No I'll be alright, just go to work and I'll call when I'm finished."

Yao nodded hesitantly and drove away. Mei was slightly startled as the gates began to open and the figure really was Xiang. Mei smiled slightly and ran up to him. Xiang walked very casually and he seemed slightly less tense than he usually is at school.

"Hmm you actually made it," he greeted.

"Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Nothing. Well anyway, follow me." Xiang turned around and began to walk back to the house. Mei followed quickly and walked next to the young man. Mei couldn't help but admire the hundreds of trees that surrounded the home as they walked along the stone pathway. The grounds were large enough that they could hold all these trees and it didn't take away from the view of the whole.

The two finally reached the house and the moment Mei stepped into the house, she was completely awe struck. The living room was absolutely huge. And it was filled with what seemed like the most expensive furnishings. It was so bright as well; the light entered the room perfectly through high windows.

Mei took a moment to look through the open doorways and she saw into a grand kitchen that seemed spotless and the only other doorway open, led to a hallway. As much as she wanted to explore the house, she remembered they had a project to do. She hoped Xiang would let her explore later if they finished early enough.

Xiang went over and took a seat at his couch and the coffee table in front of him was already laid out with papers and a laptop. "So what are we going to do?" he asked.

Mei went over and took a seat next to him, placing her bag beside her. "Well I was thinking we could do a project on alternative fuel. You know things like solar energy and wind energy."

"Hmm sounds good. Let's get started then. How should we split up the work?"

"Okay how about we both do different sections of the written paper, then we work together on the model."

"That sounds reasonable. I have a spare laptop if you need one."

"I'm fine, I brought mine." Mei opened her bag and removed her laptop, placing it on the table. "Let's get started then."

The two quickly began their project, each looking up specific sources for different alternatives for fuel. After they accumulated enough sources, they began to type up the actual paper. Mei yawned slightly, looking at the clock and seeing that two hours had passed since they started. Mei smiled at the work laid out in front of her; they managed to finish almost everything except the conclusion and the model.

Xiang stood up to stretch. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he asked.

"Oh umm some juice or tea would be nice."

"I'll make some tea then." Xiang walked off to the kitchen while Mei decided she would finish the paper.

Xiang soon returned with a platter, holding a pot of tea and two cups along with what looked like small cakes. He placed the platter down and poured the steaming tea into a cup; placing the cup onto a smaller plate along with a cake. "You didn't have to go to such extents," stated Mei. She took the tea gratefully and took a moment to enjoy the aroma before taking a sip. "What tea is this?"

"Jasmine." Xiang poured his own cup and sat down, sipping it slowly. He took a glance over to her laptop, seeing that she finished the rest of the paper while he was gone. "You work fast."

"It was easy. So I guess we take a break now?"

"That would be good." Xiang took another moment and finished his tea before placing the cup back down.

"Umm, could I take a look around the estate? If you don't mind."

Xiang pondered the request, "Alright but don't go off on your own and we're absolutely not going to the third floor."

Mei wondered about the last restriction but shrugged it off. "Alright," she exclaimed. "Where should we go first?" she asked excitedly.

"Let's go out to the garden. I need to water some plants anyway."

"Alright, lead the way~" Xiang nodded and guided Mei through the house.

As they walked, Mei observed the many decorations that filled the house, but something made her curious. For the entire time they were in the house, she hadn't seen any other person. Xiang opened the sliding door and the sunlight slightly blinded Mei for a second before she stepped out.

Mei was speechless to see the scene before her. She knew the garden was large from looking at it from the outside but it was nothing compared to seeing it face to face. The way all the flowers were arranged gave it a majestic feeling of other worldly proportions. There were species that she hadn't even seen before, only pictures from other countries.

Xiang chuckled slightly at how she was stunned and took her hand to guide her through the garden. Mei blushed slightly as she was lead through the rows of flowers until they came up to a bed of peonies that rested under a plum blossom tree. Xiang let go of her hand and picked up a small watering can and began to water the flowers under the tree.

Mei smiled slightly at how natural Xiang looked. He seemed like a different person than the silent and blunt character she had seen up till then. "Hey Xiang, why are you only watering those flowers?"

"I'm not sure exactly… it reminds me of a distant memory or something…"

"Then why do you have all these other flowers?"

"Hmm, just to have them. It was suggested that I fill the estate with something when I bought it."

"Wait you bought it? You live by yourself?"

"Yes I do. Is that wrong?"

"Well no but it just seems strange." Mei wondered about how Xiang afforded all of his belongings but held the question at bay.

Xiang stood up, placing his watering can back down. "I guess it does."

"Wait, if you only take care of that tree and those flowers, what's keeping all these other plants alive?"

"Hmm? Oh I hired some gardeners. Same for the house, I have a cleaning crew for that. Although they only work every other day."

"You hired people? This estate is huge though, how many do you hire?"

"Umm I think about eight gardeners and eight of the cleaners."

"What's so special about eight?"

Xiang shrugged, "It's a lucky number if I heard correctly."

"This is just all too strange. I wasn't going to ask this but how do you afford all of this?"

"I get paid a lot. I don't need all of it though so I just save some and spend some."

"You make it sound so casual. I'm afraid to ask how much you get paid…"

"Depends on the day I guess. Usually around a million I think."

Mei blinked her eyes and slightly pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming and was awake. "A m-million?"

"It's not a big deal really. I donate over half of it anyway on a daily basis."

"That is really not normal. No normal person or average person can make that much money without some sort of business or something."

"What my business is is none of your concern. No matter how curious it may make you."

"Alright… I apologize if I made you uncomfortable…" Mei stared down to her feet, ashamed.

Xiang sighed, "Its fine, you were just curious."

"I'm still really sorry."

Xiang shook his head, he really believed it was okay but Mei still wouldn't cheer up. He turned slightly and got an idea. He bent down and picked up one of his flowers and went over to Mei who raised her head in surprise. He then placed the flower in her hair and gave her a small smile. "Don't be so upset. Now show that smile of yours that can only compare to such a lovely flower."

Mei could feel her cheeks rise in heat as she shied away slightly. "A-alright." She held her head up and produced an honest smile.

"Now that's the Mei I know. Let's head back inside and finish the project now."

Mei nodded and walked alongside Xiang as they returned to the house. The two made it back to the living room and as Mei pulled up the designs for the project, Xiang went to go find some supplies. He came back and the two worked vigorously on completing the diagram. After a few hours, the two were finally finished with their scale model of some solar panels.

Mei took a step back to look at their diagram and smiled. "I think we did well."

"I agree, and it only took two hours."

"Wait, what time is it?"

"Umm around four? Why?"

"I didn't realize it was this late… I should call my brother. It takes over half an hour to even get out here."

"Yeah that would be best."

Mei nodded and took out her cell phone. After a short chat with her brother, she closed her phone and rested on the couch. "What should we do till we wait?"

"I don't know. A game? Music?"

Mei's eyes suddenly beamed and she jumped up. "Music!"

Xiang was startled slightly but nodded. "Alright then. Follow me."

Mei trailed behind Xiang excitedly as they entered a large white room. In the center of the room, a grand black piano rested and the corner of the room held many different string instruments. Mei went over to the piano and ran her fingers across the keys, finding that it was tuned finely.

"Can we play that song? You know the one that we played together on the roof top?"

"That sounds fine, you remember the melody?"

"Yep," she answered, and then in a hush, "I can't forget…"

"Alright then." Xiang went over and picked up his violin and played it quickly to check if it was tuned. Satisfied with the tune, Xiang turned his attention back to Mei. "Ready when you are."

Mei nodded and began to play the opening melody. After the first few measures, Xiang entered and soon both reached perfect synchronism with one another. The music flowed very smoothly as if a river streamed down lightly but the song was so much stronger than that. The two could hear the song rippling through the air and soon the waves started to slow down as the song finally came to an end.

Mei smiled brightly at hearing the beautiful tune and turned to see Xiang. But something completely unexpected came into her sight. Xiang had his hands down and he was staring out the window but that wasn't the most disturbing sight. Xiang's eyes were wide with shock and what looked like a hint of fear. Mei, concerned, went over to him and lightly tapped his shoulder.

"Xiang? Is something wrong?" Mei turned her attention to the glass wall and saw a blond headed man walking down to the house.

Xiang quickly placed his violin in its rightful spot and ran over and grabbed Mei's hand, pulling her out of the room. Mei was startled by the sudden action but Xiang was moving too quickly for her to resist. They came to a door just outside of the room and Xiang opened it and threw her in, along with himself and closed the door behind him. Mei squirmed in the tight closet space as she tried to understand what just happened.

"Xiang, what's going on?" Mei demanded.

"Be quiet," he hushed. Xiang placed his ear against the door, hearing the sound of another door opening.

"Why are we in a closet? Who was that guy?"

Xiang ignored her to focus on Arthur's sudden appearance. "Xiang! Are you home? It's urgent," he yelled.

"Xiang, I demand to know what's going on."

"Later, just be quiet right now."

"Why? Tell me or else I'm going out there and finding out myself." Xiang remained silent and Mei pouted. She moved to get out of the closet until Xiang stopped her hand and held her against the wall. "Xiang! Let me go!"

"Please be quiet," he pleaded. Mei squirmed and Xiang knew that Arthur was getting closer. He absolutely couldn't let Arthur know about Mei, especially her being at his house. Both of them would be in a significant amount of trouble. Actually, he would just get in trouble; Mei wouldn't get something so simple.

"Xiang if you don't let me go, I'm going to scream." Xiang tried to move his hand to cover her mouth but the tight quarters prevented him from moving them freely. Xiang looked down to see Mei's face and she was completely serious. "Xia-"

In a desperate move, Xiang pressed his lips against Mei's. Mei's eyes grew wide at what Xiang was doing. All her protests were completely muffled by Xiang. She moved to pulled away but Xiang wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back in to keep her quiet. Mei tried to push him away but she could feel her breath leaving her.

Xiang pulled away just for an instant to gain breath before he returned to sealing off Mei's protests. Mei's senses began to dull as she could only feel Xiang's warmth. Mei slowly closed her eyes and draped her arms over his shoulders. Mei began to exert her own amount of pressure even though Xiang remained unresponsive to it. In actuality, he really didn't know what she was doing, he had done this before but it was for other situations that really didn't require him to do anything. He knew how to react but he didn't know how he should feel at all.

Xiang soon heard the sound of footsteps fade away and the door close. Immediately Xiang broke the kiss and exited the closet. Mei was left in a daze, she was disappointed that the kiss had to end but she then remembered the fact that _Xiang had kissed her_.

The Cantonese teen entered the living room and saw on the coffee table a black letter. He moved over quickly to the table and snatched up the letter and placed it into his pocket. He would have to read over that letter later but right now, he had some explaining to do to Mei.

Just as he went to the hallway opening, he bumped into Mei who was somewhat staggering along the walls. The moment she realized it was Xiang who she bumped into, her face turned scarlet and she scampered to the couch and hid behind it. She wasn't afraid of Xiang himself, but from what he did, she was really afraid he'd do something unexpected again.

"Mei? Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? You just… did that while we were in the closet and you wonder if something's wrong?"

"Well yeah. I don't understand why you're so flustered and upset. It was just a kiss."

Mei stood up, this time her face seemed red from a combination of embarrassment and anger. "Just a kiss! A kiss isn't some simple thing you can just go around giving to other people," she yelled. Xiang looked at her confused; he truly didn't understand what the meaning was. "You have to care about that person enough to then kiss them."

"And friends don't do that?"

"Of course not! If we're just friends then you shouldn't be kissing me unless… you like me…"

Xiang was about to respond when a loud honk echoed to the house. Mei knew that her brother had arrived and she quickly grabbed her things in a rush. "I'll… talk to you later Xiang…" She ran through the door after waving goodbye to Xiang.

Mei came up to Yao's car and got in. "So how was it? ~aru" asked her brother.

"It was… good and… interesting to say the least."

"That's good ~aru." Yao began to drive and they left the estate. "You know, you'll have to introduce me one of these days to your friend."

Mei leaned her chin onto her hand and looked out the window as the house began to disappear from sight. "Yeah… maybe one day."

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><p>Xiang stared out the window until the car had disappeared from sight. "Like her?" he said out loud. Xiang went over to his couch and sat down, trying to comprehend what Mei meant by that. When he shifted slightly, he could hear the sound of paper crumpling and remembered the letter that Arthur had left.<p>

He pulled out the letter, opening it and pulling out the sheet of paper. When first observing the paper, it seemed the letter was written in a rush but he could tell whose handwriting it was.

Dear Xiang,

This is Arthur with a very important message. I don't have a lot of time to explain in just this letter so I need you to head down to The Organization headquarters and meet with Kiku and me. I know this is sudden but we desperately need you down here. The moment you get this letter, start heading down to the building.

~Arthur

Xiang shoved the letter back into the envelope and went to go change. After a few minutes, he ran back downstairs, now dressed in his dark attire. He made sure the house was locked and went to his garage where his motorcycle rested. Xiang pulled on his helmet and raised the garage door. Swiftly, Xiang got onto the bike and started the engine. The motorcycle began to roar as Xiang exited the garage, closing it behind him as he sped off onto the streets.

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><p>Arthur paced around the building's lobby, waiting nervously for Xiang to answer his message. The elevator rang, making Arthur jump slightly in surprise. The doors opened and Xiang stepped out, wearing his usual work attire as he removed his helmet.<p>

"Xiang! There you are." Arthur moved over to the boy and began to lead him upstairs. "We have to hurry, this is serious."

"What's going on?" Xiang asked.

"I'll explain once we reach Kiku's office."

"Alright…" Xiang stared at the elevator doors as it continued to rise when he remembered what he was feeling before he read the letter. "Arthur… I have a question."

"What is it? I thought I told you we'd explain lat-"

"It's not that. What is a kiss supposed to mean?"

Arthur was startled by Xiang's sudden question, not to mention he had never asked something like that before. It was always serious business. "What's brought this up?"

"It's just… I want to know."

"Well a kiss is suppose to be given to someone you really care about. Most of the times, you only kiss someone that you really like or love."

"What does 'like' or 'love' even mean?"

"When you like someone, you care greatly for them and enjoy their company. Love is… much more difficult to understand. But it's something greater than liking someone, much more."

"Could you try and explain?"

"Well it's as if you can't live without that person. As if their life was part of your own and you support one another once you're together in that kind of relationship; that's what love should be if I'm correct. But you should know if you love someone when the time comes."

"Oh, thanks for explaining." Xiang took in all of Arthur's words, re-listening to them and trying to understand.

Arthur stared at the boy out of the corner of his eye. Xiang was acting very strange; normally he'd never ask anything like that. Arthur wondered what had happened during his time at the academy.

The elevator finally opened and the two stepped out; heading straight for Kiku's office; as always, they knocked before entering the room. Kiku sat at his usual spot, his hands held together as he was deep in thought.

"We're here Kiku-sama."

"Good, have you explained it to him yet?"

"I was just about to." Arthur turned to Xiang who stood silent but attentive. "Okay Xiang, I know it was sudden when we placed you in the academy but believe us when we say it was necessary. And we believed it worked. We've been monitoring the city and no suspicious people have appeared and news hasn't spread to us about you."

"Get to the point," stated Xiang.

"Right, so we've brought you here today because The Organization needs your skills. We've been trying to infiltrate this facility and kill the leader but his security is far superior to anything we've gained or seen before, there are just too many surprises coming from him. If we can get rid of him, our organization will be able to profit greatly from it. So that's why you were called."

"I see. I'll go right away then."

"Good, first we'll give you some of the information we were able to gather. The leader's name is Andrew and we've been trying to track his movements but all our spies were found and almost all of them were killed. But we were able to learn that he has a private estate somewhere at the outskirts of the city and at the same time, he does his business there too. And his business is trafficking or stealing oil and selling it to buyers for a high price. But it's not just oil; he steals all kinds of expensive and pricy fuel sources."

"Understood," Xiang answered simply.

"Good, we have your equipment ready for you. And it'd be best to use the night to our advantage, the moon is gone and that's just one factor less that we have to worry about."

Xiang nodded and exited the room. He walked down the hallways and came to his usual rendezvous location. The supplier equipped him with his usual; a sword and some rifles. And just as an extra precaution, he was given new weapons such as explosives.

Xiang left and went up to the rooftop where a helicopter waited for him. He knew that this would be the quickest way to get to the facility and estate. Xiang entered the helicopter; the blades began to turn and they were off the roof. Xiang sat silently in his seat, preparing himself for the difficulties that he would be facing soon. He hadn't been on a mission ever since he was enrolled into the academy and that was nearly a month ago.

The sudden sound of a metallic clang woke Xiang from his thoughts and he turned to see what was happening. The pilot seemed to be struggling with the steering as they flew and Xiang popped his head out slightly to see what was going on. Even in the darkness of the night, he could see a dim light from under them and he heard the unmistakable sounds of gunfire heading toward them.

Xiang realized that if he didn't act quickly, the copter would be shot down and him along with it. As Xiang moved to grab a parachute, he could hear the sound of the front windows shattering and he could feel the sudden pull of gravity as they began to plummet to the ground. Xiang turned to see the pilot and saw him desperately struggling to keep the copter airborne but they both knew it was only buying time.

Xiang stepped to the edge of the helicopter and waited until the gunfire ended. It was just in time too as Xiang leaped out of the copter and made his way to landing. Luckily, the dark night was able to hide his presence but the helicopter wasn't so lucky. It spiraled out of control and just as Xiang reached the cover of the trees, it crashed and a large explosion was emitted from it.

Xiang finally reached the ground and discarded his parachute. He whipped out his GPS and saw that he was about one mile away from the complex. He knew that this was a dangerous mission if there were guards posted so far away from the facility.

Regardless, Xiang began to hike through the thick terrain; being as silent as possible and avoiding any large noises such as stepping on branches. As dark as the night was, it didn't bother Xiang at all; during his training way back when, he had to make his eyes adjust to the darkness in order to complete missions more efficiently. And some say that Xiang's eyes glowed with a menacing gold whenever he would perform a mission.

As he ran through the forest, he could distantly see the light from the complex. Knowing that guards would be appearing at any moment, Xiang climbed a tree and began to leap from them, using the branches and leaves as better cover. It was a wise decision as Xiang began to pass by guards that seemed to be following a routine. But it was only a small advantage as Xiang saw a large wall was erected around the building, making it impossible for him to just waltz in.

Xiang tried searching for any feasible entrances but they were all heavily guarded. Seeing no way into the complex, Xiang began to form a plan and came down close to the wall. Xiang attached a device onto the wall and made his way back into the trees and closer over to the entrance. Xiang counted down in his head until finally a fiery explosion was emitted from the other side of the complex. All the guards began to panic at the noise as their receivers told them they needed to report to the scene.

The guards began to maneuver over to where Xiang planted the explosive and he waited once more until he knew most of the guards were over there. After that, he pulled out a trigger and pushed the button, causing a second explosion to occur right at the same scene. The remaining guards' receivers began to shout out orders at them to report to the explosion and now security was perfect for Xiang to enter.

A single guard, baffled, paced around nervously. Xiang took out his gun and shot the man from where he rested in the tree. The shot hit perfectly at the head, killing him instantly. Xiang emerged from the tree and ran inside, finally getting into the complex.

Xiang easily entered the building, with security weakened from his trap, he could do so but he couldn't let his guard down. He knew that more guards had to be inside the building. Xiang found his way through the halls, making sure to listen for any sign of footsteps. To his fortune, he found a man at a computer. Xiang easily disposed of him with his gun and went over to the computer. He began to search for any additional information that would aid him and found a map or rather a blue print of the complex. It seemed it was specially designed to house others and at the same time, be used as a business facility.

Xiang looked at the corpse lying down and picked up his communication device. The device would be useful for tracking all the guards movements; Xiang turned down the sound and placed it at his side and continued to move through the building, now knowing where he had to go. The building was built so that all business would be handled in the lower levels and residents would be closer to the top.

Xiang looked at the elevator and thought that it'd be too risky to take it. Using the only other means, he began to climb the stairs. After a few moments, Xiang finally reached his destination and slowly opened the door to the level. The halls seemed relatively clear of anyone but Xiang still had to proceed with caution.

Xiang took small silent steps in order to further mask his presence. Suddenly, a door opened and Xiang whipped out his gun and shot the person just as he was emerging. Not wasting any time or chances, he raised his hand and shot at all the lights until he ran out of bullets. He quickly replaced his ammo as more people started to come out of the room. But they were utterly lost in the darkness, allowing Xiang to easily pick them off.

With all the bodies fallen, it was completely clear now for Xiang to continue but he'd have to go quickly. Now that he created such a ruckus, he'd have to find Andrew now before he could escape. Xiang sped through the halls until he came to the final door on the level. Instead of opening the door, Xiang pressed his ear against the wooden door and listened closely. He could hear the slight shifting of others inside the room.

"What are we suppose to do?" asked a man.

"We'll have to abandon the facility."

"Are you crazy, do you know how much we'd lose if we did that."

"It's the best plan. All these explosions have alerted the police, they'll be arriving at any moment and we can't let them find out about our operation."

"And we can transport the oil using the tankards in the back, next to the pool."

"Alright then, let's go now before the intruder gets to us."

The men began to shuffle out of their seats just when the door burst open and Xiang ran into the room. The guards prepared to shoot but Xiang tossed out a sphere to the center of the room and a smokescreen was blasted through the room. The guards were slightly disoriented by the smoke but began to fire randomly at any moving targets.

Bodies began to fall as shots ran through the room and this only made Xiang's task easier. With every gunshot, Xiang could locate where the sound came from and thus he knew where all the guards were. Xiang unsheathed his sword and snuck over to each guard and silently slew them until the sound of gunfire was replaced with the sound of falling corpses.

The smokescreen suddenly dissipated as the smoke flowed out of an open window. The image of the room cleared and the only one still standing was Xiang and a man that stood next to the window. He had a defined demeanor and even though he seemed to have a skinny body; he had an undisputable aura of confidence and superiority. He lifted his glasses up, fixing it so the furious look on his face could be seen as his eyes roamed over his fallen henchmen and co-operators.

Xiang gave him a silent glare. "You must be Andrew," stated Xiang, in his monotone voice.

"That's right but then again it isn't. Its _Master_ Andrew," he answered. "You must be one of those assassins that have been trying to kill me. Even though they all failed miserably before you because I am just too amazing to be defeated by you simple minded fools."

Xiang felt slightly irritated by the man's speech and attitude. "You don't need to know that." Xiang charged the man with his sword raised.

Andrew took out a gun from his jacket and shot at Xiang but the assassin easily dodged it. Instead of continuing to shoot at Xiang, he smirked and aimed his gun at the ceiling and shot. Just as Xiang neared Andrew, the water sprinklers went off, dousing everything in water. The rain of water distracted Xiang just long enough for Andrew to kick Xiang back and into the wall. As Xiang regained his composure, the man had disappeared.

Andrew ran through the hallways and went down the elevator. Impatiently, he searched for the weapons supply for better equipment against the deadly assassin. Soon enough he found the room and his eyes searched over the array of weapons until he finally selected a warglaive. He took up the double bladed weapon and held it in his hand as he walked out of the room.

He began to observe his surroundings, finding himself on the ground floor. He remembered his original plan to escape with the trucks in the back at the pool area. He dashed through the hall, his footsteps echoing loudly as he ran. He could see the outside lights of the back and he burst through the doors. He spun his head around, making sure he wasn't followed. After he was sure that he wasn't followed, he spotted the tankards and sprinted over. But just as he came close to the vehicle, a dark figure popped up from the top of the tankard.

The figure leaped off from the top and straight toward Andrew. Instinctively, he raised his weapon and sparks clashed as he defended himself. Andrew was pushed back by the force and he lifted his head to see Xiang standing with his blade.

"How the hell did you find me?" Andrew demanded.

"It was simple. I overheard your meeting with your comrades and figured that you would eventually show up here. All I had to do was wait. It looks like you're the simple minded one."

Andrew could feel his rage building up inside of him."You're not going to be able to stop me," he stated loudly.

"I beg to defer." Xiang readied his blade, gripping it tightly with both hands. And the air abruptly turned incredibly tense with an aura of bloodlust. Xiang's eyes became intense with a sense of rage. "Plus, I need to pay you back for kicking me earlier and tricking me."

Xiang exploded off from his position with a burst of speed. Andrew barely had enough time to react and counter the attack as the metal sparks flew right past them. Now that the distance was closed, the two were interlocked in combat. Each gave a swing in an attempt to slash their foe but neither gave way as each slash was met with a counter or a block. It was only a matter of time and endurance to see who would injure the other first and whoever did, would gain an advantage over the other.

In terms of weaponry, it was clear Andrew had the advantage with his blade and the fact that he could swing around the thing so easily. But in terms of stamina, Xiang believed he was superior since he had undergone years of training compared to him and also because he had youth as well.

In a spur of strength, both of the combatants swung and the blades clashed once more but both held their ground as their weapons were locked. Each held their ground while fighting back, not budging in the least against each other. Andrew grinded his teeth together as he tried to overpower Xiang but to no avail.

"Give up! You're not going to be able to win."

Xiang ignored the idiotic demand and argument but it was clear to Xiang that if they continued to fight like this, neither would be able to win.

Xiang searched for an alternative as he struggled against Andrew's blade. Just past Andrew, Xiang realized the pool was behind him. Using all his might, Xiang pushed against the warglaive and knocked Andrew's balance off. Using this opening, Xiang raised his leg and slammed it into his side, knocking him into the pool.

The man swam back up and found himself in the middle of the pool as he choked on the water when he fell backwards. He then saw Xiang next to the tankard of oil and in a swift movement; he pulled his blade back and thrust it at the tankard. The blade easily pierced the metal and when Xiang pulled it back and a steam of oil was released. The dark liquid flowed freely into the pool, soon layering the top.

"You think this would kill me you motherfucker! You're pathetic! I'm going to strangle you like a new born kitten."

Xiang placed his finger in the middle of his lips, "Shhh Andrew." Xiang turned around and began to walk away from the pool. He took out a match and lit it. "Silence at last." He tossed the small flame behind him and onto the oiled pool.

Immediately, the oil burst into flames. Andrew, not wanting to get burned dove into the water again but it didn't matter. He was utterly trapped. If he took his head out of the water, his head would be burned and if he didn't, he would drown. Time however wasn't on his side either as the flames began to run up the steaming oil and straight into the tankard. A second didn't even pass as an explosion erupted from the metal container. The explosion covered the entire yard and a series of explosions started to occur as there were multiple tankards in the back.

Xiang was already a significant distance away as he saw the chain reaction of explosions. The fiery blast covered the skies in an inferno of raw destruction. The large building next to it began to crumble from the blast as well. The explosions didn't last very long as only flames remained and a pile of rubble from where the building once stood.

As Xiang contacted Arthur, he could see the red and blue sirens of the police starting to arrive at the scene. Many of the officers stepped out of their vehicles and just stared at the destruction before them but a few of them recognized something about the carnage; that the deadly assassin had returned after disappearing for nearly a month. It meant that a new storm would begin for them or rather the same disasters would rise.

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><p>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia<p>

A/N: **These chapters just keep getting longer and longer don't they? Well I hope you enjoyed the chapter and yes, they did kiss but it really doesn't mean anything if I didn't make that clear, well meaning as in relationship wise. It just creates tension and starts making the clocks turn if that makes sense. Also Andrew is not a Hetalia character. So anyway, hope you enjoyed the fluff I put in the beginning because after that was just action which is in pretty much all chapter so far. And I apologize to my readers that think this is too intense, but I hope you enjoy the story and thank you greatly for your dedication. I really appreciate it. And if it's too intense turn your attention to Bai Xiang Mei or Turning Pages because those are pretty much fluffy romance for HKTaiwan. Well this is getting too long so anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter. And Thank you to my lovely reviewers. Bye for now~**


	7. Chapter 07: Hollow Dreams

_From the brilliant, first light of day to the still and dark of night, a serenade is being sung through the instruments of the heart; creating a dazzling illusion that strikes the imagination of dreams_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 7:**_

_**Hollow Dreams**_

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Mei just couldn't believe it. Things were so different in just a few days. Classes had become incredibly awkward for her. Every time she turned to see Xiang, she would remember what happened during the past weekend and get incredibly flustered. And even if he wasn't around, she couldn't drive her thoughts of him out of her mind. She knew that it was wrong of him to kiss her if he didn't really care but a little voice inside of her kept telling her different. Even though he didn't care, she absolutely did and the voice told her that it was possible that he did care about her too. She would remember that confused and concerned face and along with that, she couldn't hold back the heat that rose in her cheeks.

Unbeknownst to Mei, Xiang was feeling something similar. Things had changed in just a few days. He was returning back to his life as an assassin and it seemed that each mission was getting more difficult. And because of this, his training became more intense than ever.

Even though Mei didn't know the truth, she could feel an unusual sense of unease from Xiang. She wondered now if he did feel the same way but from the look on his face, it didn't seem like it. Everyone saw just a stoic handsome face but she believed she saw the truth. It was just those little things that caught her eye; the light in his eyes especially. In this way, she wasn't honest with herself, and she knew it.

The day went on with an eerie silence; even all the other students were quiet. It was all very unusual but they seemed to follow Xiang's silence; even though he was always silent, today was the exception. Xiang's intimidating aura could be felt by everyone; even if they didn't know it was coming from him.

Xiang seemed to return to how he was right when he started attending the academy. He was so distant now. With every class, Xiang didn't make any movements and when class ended, he would also ask the teachers something. Now as the day was coming to its end, Xiang entered music class and was speaking to the teacher once again. Mei was curious as to know what he was talking about but she couldn't hear anything over the music being played. What surprised her was when Xiang left the class right after finishing his chat with the teacher. Now Mei was greatly concerned.

As soon as class was over, she rushed out of the room and went to their dorm room. The moment she entered, she saw Xiang was about to leave the room but he had a suitcase with him.

"What's that for?" she asked.

"For carrying my things."

"Why do you have that? Are you going somewhere?" she asked nervously.

Xiang sighed. "I am."

"What! Why? Where?"

"I can't tell you where or why. Please understand that but I'll tell you that I'll be gone for a while."

"Are you going to come back?"

"Who knows? Maybe…" Xiang then walked to her, whispering, "See you later," as he passed her ear. Mei turned around to see him walking off. She wanted to say something, she really did but she was too shocked to say anything. Xiang soon disappeared as he turned the corner; the echoes of his footsteps fading away.

Mei collapsed onto her bed and looked toward Xiang's. Something really made her feel uneasy. The atmosphere wasn't the same without him around. She held the center of her chest as she came to realize, that Xiang was truly part of her life, and without him, there was a void.

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><p>"Did you make all the arrangements?"<p>

"Yeah I did…" Xiang answered. "I told them myself that I was taking a leave of absence."

"Good, we have a lot of missions that require your aid."

"I see…" Xiang stared out of the window as the car drove. He could feel an indiscernible feeling within his chest. He couldn't tell what it was; regret? Longing?

Arthur noticed the slight change in Xiang's mood and grew vaguely concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing… let's just get on with the mission."

"Alright then," Arthur took out a folder and began to shuffle through some papers. "Oh…"

"What?"

"This mission is… different."

"Different how?"

"Well all the missions before where always somewhere where the location was secluded and away from prying eyes. But this one, the location is at the center of the city."

"If it's stealing something, it won't be-"

"It's not stealing. You have to kill someone but the chances of you not getting caught are slim."

"Why is that? I can make a quick assassination."

"No, that's not it. Listen. There's an estate at the center of the city but the problem is security is extremely tight. There are guards posted at all possible locations, cameras everywhere and worst of all, the police station isn't far. What puzzles me is that they can still conduct their business in secret despite the attention they would get from being there."

"What do they do?"

"They traffic exotic animals; either endangered or just rare."

Xiang took the papers from Arthur and skimmed over the info. Arthur was right, the security was far too tight for Xiang and even if he could infiltrate the base, he could get caught if he did anything. There were just far too many people around that location.

"How are we supposed to do this? Even with proper planning, this could take months to do."

Arthur began to dig through more papers from the folder when one particular caught his eye. "I think we found our solution."

"What's that supposed to be?"

"They're going to be holding a party this weekend. With people entering the estate, security should be weakened and we can infiltrate. That means we have a few days to prepare and execution must be perfect. And there will be two leaders you must kill, don't take this lightly."

"I'll perform as I usually do." Xiang took the papers and began to form a plan, pushing his strange feeling to the back of his mind.

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><p>Mei waited quietly as she stood on the sidewalk for her brother. The week had passed by so quickly and at least she could finally rest.<p>

The car rolled up near the sidewalk and Mei hopped into the car. Mei sighed and leaned her head against the seat. Yao began to drive but he noticed Mei's sigh. "Is something wrong? ~aru"

"Not really. It's been a long week."

"Oh, well cheer up ~aru. I have a surprise for you."

Mei raised an eyebrow, "What would that be?"

"Don't get too excited ~aru. But we're going to a party," Yao announced proudly.

Instead of the excited reaction Yao expected, he was responded with a confused one. "Really? Why?"

"Well because I was hired to cook for the party. I'm finally getting recognized and they're paying a lot for the night. Also when they did a background check, they found you were a musician and they wanted you to play at the party as well. You just have to play one song."

"Huh? Why do I have to go?"

"Because you get to play your music, I thought you'd be happy ~aru. And if not for that, I really could use the support. I've never cooked for five hundred plus people in just one course."

Mei sighed, "I guess its fine then. I don't have anything to do anyway."

"Great! It's tomorrow night so you have all day to pick the song you want to play ~aru"

"Okay."Mei turned her attention back to the outside. '_Except the song I want to play is a duet_…'

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><p>The night air was filled with excitement as streams of people were entering the current hot spot of the city. The estate was incredibly large, making it perfect for the party that was being held. Many people began to arrive at the strike of six o'clock and many where high class citizens or talented individuals. What gave this party a mysterious atmosphere was the fact that it was actually a masquerade; requiring every attendant to wear some form of a mask.<p>

Yao had to arrive a bit earlier in order to prepare for the many people but Mei was just now arriving with everyone else on the list. She entered the grand ball room, her white mask complimented her red qipao nicely. She looked around and saw that almost all the attendants were older than her. This disappointed her; the night would be long and boring because she wouldn't have anyone to associate with. Mei sighed, she was beginning to regret her decision to attend the party. The only upside to actually attending was it was better than doing nothing at home and at least she could earn a little money.

She would be performing around eight so that gave her at least an hour to do whatever she wanted while the other musicians played. At the very least, she requested a violinist to accompany her since she wanted to try something new but she doubted greatly that the person could meet her standards.

Mei decided that she would visit her brother in the kitchen and began to find her way to it. After some searching she found it but as soon as she reached there, she found her brother storming off in a fit. "Aiyah, how dare they ask me to cook something so precious?"

"Yao-ge?"

"Oh Mei, why aren't you out there having fun? ~aru"

"I wanted to see how you were doing. What's wrong?"

"I'm mad! ~aru. Those idiots are asking me to cook exotic foods which I was okay with until I found out they had a live panda!"

"Wait. They want you to cook a panda?"

"They do! But I refuse to do it. I don't even know how they got such an endangered animal here ~aru. Don't tell anyone but I'm going to get the panda out of here and just make something and call it panda."

"Ehh alright? Good luck with that." Yao nodded and then ran off to the kitchen but then made a quick turn about.

"Oh Mei, I've been wondering, where did you get that peony in your hair? You've been wearing it all week ~aru."

"Huh? Oh it was given to me…" Mei blushed slightly when thinking about who gave it to her. "And I like it."

"I see ~aru" Yao grew suspicious of Mei's reaction but shrugged it off and returned to the kitchen. Mei was glad he didn't pry too much about who gave it to her and also wondered why he couldn't just call the police but she was sure he knew what he was doing, somewhat anyway.

Mei returned to the dancehall, finding herself a bit parched. In order to quench it, she went over to the drink table and looked around for some water but there was none to be found. She then saw a bar was serving drinks and went over.

"Do you have any juice?" she asked politely.

The man chuckled to himself. "Right, juice." The man quickly prepared something and poured it into a glass for Mei.

She looked at the glass suspiciously but took a sip. It tasted sweet so she assumed it was okay and went on to her own business. She checked the time and saw she would perform in just half an hour. She found a spot to sit down and relax. She looked over to the other guests and saw everyone was either mingling or dancing to the music.

A hand was suddenly put in front of Mei, "May I have this dance?" he asked.

Mei looked over to see the man but as with everyone else, he wore a mask that hid his face but not his blond hair. He spoke in a suave voice, despite it being a bit deep. "Err I'm not sure…" she answered nervously. Mei wasn't exactly comfortable dancing with a complete stranger but she didn't want to seem rude.

"I'm sure you'll have fun," he insisted.

"But I don't know how to dance…" The ironic thing about Mei was the fact that she could play wonderful music but at the same time, she really couldn't dance.

Even after she said she couldn't dance, the man took her out to the dance floor. "Follow my lead."

He put his right hand behind Mei, below her shoulder. Then he took Mei's left hand and raised it. After that he moved forward with his left foot, his right taking a step back. He took a step to the left and his right foot slid to follow the left.

The man repeated it over and over; it took Mei a while to get used to the movement but even then she was still clumsy with her feet. As they continued, Mei constantly stepped on his feet with her movements, apologizing many times for it.

The song finally ended and Mei was greatly relieved. She didn't enjoy dancing in the least because it was incredibly awkward dancing with him. "Umm, thanks for teaching me to dance. Sorry about your feet."

"It's alright, you weren't too bad. Oh may I ask for your name? My name is Kyle. "

"My name is Mei. Nice to meet you."

"That fits you well."

"Thank you. Well it was nice meeting you." Mei moved to go back to her seat but Kyle continued to follow her. Mei turned around, "Umm do you need something?"

"Not exactly but you seem like a very interesting girl."

"Thank you?"

"I'd like to get to know you more if you don't mind."

Mei began to panic in her mind. She didn't want to be rude but she really didn't want to dance with him again. He seemed really suspicious; his eyes carried a very dreadful light. Just then, her cell phone went off and she took it out to see that she had ten minutes left before she would perform. "Umm sorry, I have to go perform."

"Oh is that so? You must be that protégé that we invited."

"Wait, you're the host?"

"Yes, me and my brother. He's going around and meeting people."

"Oh I see, well I should go now."

"I'll meet with you afterwards then."

"Err, right." Mei walked away quickly and took a breath of relief. She was glad she was able to get away from that man.

She quickly made it to the side of the stage and she was just behind a young man. Mei waited patiently as the musicians on stage finished. It was the young man's turn and he got onto the stage. Now that he was on stage, Mei could get a better look at him and the sight startled her. There was something about his appearance that struck a memory within her.

The young man reminded her of that dark figure along with his mysterious aura. The mask reminded her far too much of that night she was rescued by an unknown person. She tried to calm herself down, "it can't be the same person," she said to herself.

Mei finally quieted herself when the young man picked up his instrument. His choice didn't particularly bother Mei; it was just a violin after all. The young man placed the wooden instrument at his shoulder and jaw and readied the bow.

Immediately, the bow swiftly struck the strings in a gliding motion and he began to create a symphony of sounds. Mei's eyes widened at the sound of his violin playing. The sound was just too familiar to ignore at all. The way the violin seemed to sing as the violinist skillfully played every note. Mei was entranced by the music, finding that with each passing second, she learned more and more about the mysterious musician until her suspicions couldn't be held back any longer.

But she couldn't just go up and make him confess; she needed a way to confirm it. As strong as her suspicions were, she needed some evidence at least. And the only thing she could think of was through music.

The young man soon finished his piece and the guests applauded accordingly to the magnificent performance. At this moment, Mei began to smirk slightly and she quickly went up to the stage and blocked the young man from leaving the stage. He didn't appear to be afraid or nervous but Mei could tell from his golden eyes that he slightly was.

"Excuse me, could I get you to be my accomplice in my piece?" she asked innocently.

The young man just nodded slightly in response but to Mei, it was a 'yes' regardless. She smiled and went up to the piano, taking her position and calming herself. She began to play the melody of her new duet, hoping that the violinist could pick up on it as well. Her expectations were met as he began to follow the rhythm of her playing and soon enough matched it perfectly.

Mei couldn't even feel the presence of the audience as she remained solely focus on her playing and tracking the young man's. Through the final moments of the song, she confirmed her suspicions entirely as the song came to its climatic end.

Mei and the young man took their bows and began to leave the stage for the next performers. The young man tried to escape quickly but Mei saw it coming and intercepted him. "That was a nice performance…" she commented. The violinist just quickly nodded in response and hastily tried to escape once more but again Mei got in his way, smirking slightly. "Xiang."

His eyes grew wide and in a hushed voice, "How?"

"I knew it!" she exclaimed. Xiang quickly quieted her, making her talk in a low voice. "Anyway, I knew because of your playing and the way you were dressed seemed familiar."

"But I sound like anyone else."

Mei began to think intensely and soon began to flush as she realized why she noticed the difference. "I uhh… your playing… it touches my heart in a way that no one else can seem to do."

Xiang seemed slightly startled by her response. He would never have imagined that he could connect to someone in such a way; or with anyone else period. "Is that so…? I'm not sure how to respond to that."

"It's true and you don't have to say anything… I just wanted to let you know that fact." Mei held herself from saying the other thing inside her heart, fearing greatly for his reaction to that. "Well… I'll be going now."

Xiang watched as Mei began to walk away. He wanted to follow her, he really did but he had a mission to accomplish. He had to stay undercover and not associate with anyone until the time struck nine; at that point, he would have to abandon the light atmosphere of the masquerade. Xiang sighed deeply as he placed his violin in a case, leaving it with the other instruments and entering into the sea of people.

Mei almost got back to her table when she noticed Kyle walking towards her. She turned directly back, trying to distance herself from him. Mei turned her eye slightly and saw that Kyle was still following her. Mei didn't even notice that music began to play again and everyone was dancing as she moved through the crowd. Despite the sea of people, Kyle knew where Mei was but it was also because of her unique dress in comparison with everyone else.

Mei tried desperately to avoid him, not paying attention to her actual surroundings. Soon enough, she returned back into reality when she bumped into someone but rather than falling back, an arm wrapped itself around her waist and held her close. Mei opened her eyes and was surprised to find that she ran into Xiang, yet again.

"Just relax and follow my lead." Xiang took her other hand and began to waltz with her. Xiang was able to read the situation almost instantly; seeing that Mei was being chased by someone she really didn't want to meet with.

Mei did as she was told and found it much easier to dance with Xiang. Instead of trying to learn something she never did before, he was guiding her every movement in an elegant and graceful motion. Mei thanked that the party was a masquerade because if she didn't have a mask on, Xiang would be able to clearly see her flushing face.

"Who is that guy?" he asked.

"Just someone I met. He won't leave me alone and he's really creepy."

"You think he could take a hint or two," Xiang commented.

"I know right? Anyway, umm thanks for saving me."

"It isn't a problem. I'll escort you back to your table." Now that the song had ended, Xiang could easily take Mei back to her table. Mei pointed in the right direction and the two found themselves at the table. Mei was somewhat saddened that they had to stop dancing so soon but forced herself to shrug it off.

"Thanks again." Xiang nodded and moved to leave when Mei quickly grabbed his wrist. "Umm could you stay and keep me company," she asked shyly. "You're the only one here that I can talk to…"

Xiang sighed slightly but took a seat, motioning for Mei to join him. She happily obliged. Even though Xiang had agreed to keep Mei company, he kept silent, not attempting to start any kind of conversation unless he absolutely had to; he was on a mission after all.

Mei didn't mind his silent personality at all, she enjoyed his company regardless. She noticed that her drink was still there and she took it and began to sip. A waitress walked by, carrying a few bottles of what looked to be wine. She noticed Mei's drink and went over to her. "Pardon me, would you like a refill?"

"Huh, no. I don't drink. This juice is just fine."

The waitress was about to respond when Mei turned her head, turning a bit wide eyed. She sprung up from her seat and took Xiang out to the dance floor. "… but we don't serve juice here," she finished.

Xiang was confused with Mei's sudden action. He peered over his shoulder and saw Kyle behind them. Xiang thought to himself that the man was relentless. A strange feeling welled up inside of Xiang. He didn't know what it was exactly but he felt somewhat angry and… protective?

After they gained some distance from the man, Mei draped her arms around Xiang's shoulders, a blush already covering her face. Xiang didn't understand why they needed to dance but followed her lead and snaked his arms around her waist. The two began to dance slowly to the beat and rhythm of the music. Xiang was slightly startled as Mei buried her face in his chest.

"Mei? Is something wrong?"

"Nope," she chimed. "I feel completely fine." Even if she said so, Xiang could tell something was wrong. Mei's speech seemed slightly sluggish from before and realized it was the drink. She couldn't hold her alcohol.

"Mei I think you should rest for a bit."

"I told you I'm fine," she answered. Mei's speech seemed to be slurred and her vision became blurred.

Despite her protests, Xiang guided her back to the table. She wasn't fighting back too much, her body feeling dizzy and weak. The two finally got back to the table and Xiang got Mei into her seat. "Just rest Mei."

Xiang took a look at his watch and saw that only a few minutes remained until he would have to start the operation. Just then, Mei began to tug at Xiang's sleeve. The Cantonese teen gave her a questionable stare until Mei motioned him to come closer. Xiang obeyed and leaned his head closer to the girl and Mei held him close. "Hey Xiang, I want to tell you something," she giggled.

Playing along, Xiang responded, "What would that be?"

Mei giggled more, "Guess."

"Umm I don't know, you're tired?"

"Yes but that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

"Okay listen closely." Mei leaned closer to Xiang's ear and in a soft whisper, "I. Really. Like. You."

Xiang's eyes widened as Mei pulled back and fell into her seat. The girl giggled to herself as she looked at Xiang's stunned face. "M-Mei do you know-"

"I really mean it!" she exclaimed. Mei looked like she was about to do something else until her head leaned down and she became silent.

Xiang snapped back into his mind and examined Mei. She passed out. Xiang sighed deeply as he took off his coat and wrapped it around the sleeping girl. He leaned her head onto the table so she would have somewhere to rest more easily. As he fixed his coat around her Mei's mouth began to move. "…Xiang…" she muttered.

Xiang gently caressed her hair and leaned closer to the girl. "Mei…" Then in a very soft tone, he muttered something into her ear. After a few moments passed, he stood straight and walked away, only taking a few seconds to look back at her.

The time for the operation had begun.

* * *

><p>The two twins sat in the back of the estate, conversing with each other about the party. At the same time, they were preparing for another shipment of animals to be delivered. The brothers started to laugh at the fact that it was so easy to keep so many animals hidden.<p>

The grounds were set up in a way that there was an underground jail where the animals were kept and also the outdoors garden that held a few animals that was portrayed as a zoo. The two were now walking through that said zoo garden as they looked down at different pits that held a variety of animals.

"This party is going splendidly."

"Yes it is brother. And it's during this time that the authorities are too blinded to see the extremely rare animals we steal."

"True but I think I found something more appealing to the party," commented Kyle.

"What would that be? Usually you're not this happy over the party."

"There was this very interesting girl."

"Ha, I should've known it was a woman."

"I believe it was that pianist that we invited. Though she seemed to be avoiding me."

"You have that effect on people," he joked.

"Shut up Lyle."

Before the man could respond, a sudden alarm rang throughout the entire grounds. The two's faces turned serious as they quickly ran over to what was going on. When they arrived, a large crowd of people were running from the estate and when they got inside, the only thing they could see were the crimson flames of a fire.

"What's going on here!" Lyle demanded.

One of the guards ran up to the twins, sweat covering his face. "Sir, we don't know exactly what happened but out of nowhere, an inferno started."

"What! Put it out! We can't have the fire department getting into the estate."

"We're trying sir. So far we've been able to evacuate all the guests…"

"Who cares about them!" he interrupted. "Put out the fire! We can't have it getting to the animals!"

"Right away sir." The man then ran off to try and put out the fire.

"Calm down brother, we need to do something."

Lyle sighed. "Let's find the cause of this fire th-"

Before the man could finish his sentence, an explosion roared through the air, locking their attention to the growing fire. The men ran toward the inferno of scarlet and found over half of their guards had been completely enveloped by the fire. But what frightened them was that the rest of them had been cut down and left to lie in a pool of their own blood.

"W-what's happened here?" they said in unison.

Their answer appeared.

A dark figure began to emerge from the flames; walking steadily towards them. The twins backed up at the same rate as the figure approached them. The fire seemed to completely avoid the figure but as it moved forward, the fire covered the area behind it.

Finally, after an eternity of moments, the figure emerged from the flames and presented himself to the twins. Staring right at them was the dark haired Xiang.

"Who are you?" demanded Lyle.

Instead of answering the man's question, Xiang continued to move forward. Now that he was out of the fire, the blade he carried was in full view. But the steel blade carried a crimson glow; added by the roaring fire and from the blood that stained it.

The two stared at Xiang; their sights locked onto Xiang's emotionless face, especially his unmistakable eyes.

"We have to get away from here Lyle."

"Are you insane! I'm not going to let him hunt us down like a common animal."

"That's fine and all but we don't stand a chance against him," he argued. "Look at all our men; he single handedly took them all down. We need weapons at least."

Lyle growled in fury but nodded towards his brother. "Fine. Let's go then." The two began to run away from Xiang. Kyle whipped out his communicator and called all guards to their location.

On a whim, Kyle looked back to see if Xiang followed them. That was a mistake.

Right behind was the very same pair of golden eyes and before he could react, Xiang overtook him and slammed his fist into Kyle's stomach; relieving him of his breath and stamina. The man was knocked down to his back with a sudden kick to his chest. The man stared up to see Xiang but something was different in his eyes; it carried the signs of anger despite his stoic face.

"Kyle!" Lyle ran up and attempted to strike Xiang down, only to have his fist stopped midair.

Xiang held Lyle's fist tightly until he abruptly twisted his arm and made him fall to his knees. Now that Xiang was distracted, Kyle had time to recover. The man got up to help his brother only to have him glared at. "Kyle! Go get weapons or help. I'll be fine." Kyle seemed reluctant at the order but after Lyle screamed at him to run; he forced his body to move.

Xiang sighed to himself; it just gave him more work to do now. Xiang raised his leg and slammed it into Lyle's head, knocking him to his side. The man grinded his teeth together as he rose up. He held the side of his head that Xiang had kicked; feeling extremely disoriented.

"I'm going to make you pay for that." Lyle straightened his stance and removed his jacket. He began to stretch out his arms and held his fists up; readying himself to fight Xiang.

Lyle charged Xiang in his fit of rage. Xiang swiftly jumped back, dodging the punch. Lyle didn't end there however; he continued his onslaught until Xiang was backed to a metal railing. Xiang looked over his shoulder and saw that it was a pit; a pit that held a pack of tigers.

Lyle grinned widely; thinking he had Xiang backed into a corner. The man charged Xiang, fist rose until only inches separated the two. Xiang quickly leaned back to dodge the fist but it was far over the railing. Xiang began to fall back until his hands gripped the metal railing and his legs tied themselves around Lyle. The Cantonese teen lifted the man and swung him over until both were on the other side of the rails. Xiang however was still holding onto the railing and Lyle dangled on a ledge. The man desperately tried to keep himself from falling down to where the tigers rested.

Xiang easily pulled himself back over the railing and now Xiang stared down at the man. Lyle's eyes were filled with fear, knowing that his death were only a few meters away if he fell. The Asian removed a gun from his vest and aimed it to Lyle. The man's eyes grew even wider and in an instant, Xiang pulled the trigger. The bullet ran into one of the man's hands; now Lyle could feel his arm being pushed to its limit to holding onto the ledge. Xiang shot again but instead of shooting Lyle, he shot the ledge.

The rocks crumbled and Lyle fell freely and crashed to the ground. He quickly scrambled himself as he turned around and saw all the tigers eyeing him hungrily. The tigers took in the scent of the fresh blood that trickled down Lyle's hand. He quickly crawled toward the wall, trying to climb out but the walls were far too steep for him to climb, let alone get a grip.

Xiang took one last look at Lyle's pathetic attempt to escape until he turned around and began his search for Kyle. As he ran through the grounds, he could clearly hear the roars of the tigers and the screams of a man.

* * *

><p>Kyle ran through the darkened grounds, desperately searching for any kind of weapon he could use and also waiting for the guards to find him. But the area seemed completely foreign to him; now that it was darkened by the night.<p>

Kyle continued to wander through the jungle like terrain; occasionally bumping into plants. His senses were incredibly handicapped at this point. His sight was completely gone, any sudden sounds would make him jump and his body was starting to become exhausted from running.

Things began to change suddenly when he ran out into a small clearing. He was now surrounded by tall poles of bamboo but that wasn't the strange thing. The atmosphere was filled with an aura of bloodlust that was wearing onto Kyle's mentality.

"It's about time you showed up."

Kyle quickly turned around to see Xiang, leaning leisurely on one of shoots. "Y-you… Where's Lyle?" he asked nervously.

Xiang began to walk toward the man, slowly. "You mean exactly? He's in several different places technically."

"What do you mean? Where is he!" he demanded.

In a flash, Xiang appeared in front of Kyle and in an instant he smashed Kyle's head into the ground. "Don't raise your voice with me," Xiang commented.

Kyle squirmed under Xiang's hand but his attempts were useless as Xiang only increased the pressure to his head. Xiang raised his head from the ground and once again smashed it back into the ground. The impact from the blow quickly knocked the man out.

The man shifted his head slightly as he made a loud groan. He opened his eyes and found that he was chained to the ground. Kyle struggled to try and get free but his attempts only succeeding in making splashes. Then he realized that he was lying in a small pond.

Slowly, Xiang began to emerge from the shadows of the shoots and walked closer to the man. "What are you doing!" he demanded.

"Right now, I don't have to do anything."

"What are you talking about?"

Xiang moved over and pulled one of the bamboo shoots down until it abruptly snapped. He then moved it over a small waterfall that lay close. The combination of the bamboo suddenly created a type of pipe that began to transfer the water over and directly onto Kyle's face.

The man began to gasp and choke at the water but the stream wasn't strong enough to drown him. "I d-demand to k-know what y-you're doing."

"You don't even realize what you grow here do you?"

"W-what are you talking about?" he gagged.

Xiang took out what looked like a few seeds. "See these? They're bamboo seeds and your company has been using them to create this forest of bamboo shoots."

"What does that have anything to do with this?"

Xiang sighed. "How much of an idiot are you? You realize how this bamboo grew? Because of the natural conditions here were absolutely perfect for their growth. And I imprisoned you right over a sapling."

Kyle still stared at Xiang dumbfounded. He didn't understand where he was going with his plan.

Xiang began to get annoyed with the man. "That bamboo sapling under you will grow; quickly."

Kyle started to gain an idea of what the Asian was talking about and knew his final question. "H-how fast?"

"Considering these conditions; it will grow right through your body in three days."

The man's eyes grew wide; Xiang wasn't going to kill him just like that, he wanted him to be tortured. "No! Let me go!" He began to struggle desperately to escape but the chains held strong. "Don't do this to me! What did I do?"

Xiang turned around and began to walk away. "No one will hear you out here and by the time they do, you'll be long dead…" Xiang continued and found a path that would lead him out. "… And you don't deserve to know why. You can just suffer in ignorance…"

* * *

><p>Mei turned her head all around to see where she was but it was nothing she ever saw before. The entire area was covered in a white mist. Mei began to wander the empty area; finding with each step she took, it echoed through the entire area.<p>

After walking for a seemingly endless amount of time in and endless space, she finally saw something different. In the distance stood a figure but it was clouded by the mist. Mei started to walk toward it but even as she moved forward, the figure didn't seem to be coming any closer.

All at once, the figure turned around and Mei was stunned to see it was Xiang. "Xiang!" she cried out. She began to run faster toward him but still the distance wasn't closed.

Only when he began to walk did they start to get closer. As soon as only a couple of meters separated them, he stopped. Mei also broke her running and waited in her spot, slightly panting to herself but smiled to see that he was with her there.

Xiang's lips began to move and in a soft whisper he spoke. "I'm sorry Mei."

"What are you…?"

"Despite how much I feel for you, we can't be together. If you knew the truth, then you'd understand why…" Xiang turned around and began to walk away.

"Xiang?" Mei reached out for him but he became even more distant. "Wait!" she shouted. The Taiwanese girl began to run after him, wanting to know more. "What do you mean?" Xiang still continued to grow farther away until he was so far away that she could barely see him. "Xiang!"

"Mei? Wake up. Mei ~aru"

"W-what? Huh?" Mei sprang up from where she was laying and saw her brother in front of her. "Yao-ge? Where am I? What happened to the party?"

"You passed out ~aru. I saw a glass next to you and you drank wine."

"Seriously?" she exclaimed. "That bar tender lied to me…"

"But that's beside the point ~aru. We had to evacuate the estate."

"Huh? Why? Did something happen?"

"Let me finish ~aru. Okay, a fire started in the center of the building. All the guests started to evacuate and when I was escaping, I saw you out cold on a table. I was able to carry you out of the building."

"Really?" Just then her thoughts returned to Xiang. "Did everyone get out okay?"

"I believe so. I'm sure all the guests did but I'm not too sure about the hosts and guards ~aru."

"That's a relief…"

"Indeed ~aru. But what worries me is you. Are you okay?"

"Huh? I feel fine. Why do you ask?"

"Just making sure, you usually get like this if you even touch alcohol. And also you were muttering something in your sleep. I think it was a name ~aru."

Mei blushed slightly as she remembered who he was referring to but at the same time, dread began to fill her chest. Those words that Xiang had said to her in her dream seemed so real; and they continued to remain inside her mind. As if he actually said it.

"Mei? Are you okay? ~aru"

"I'm fine… I just had a weird dream…" Mei returned to her bed and pulled the sheets over herself. "I just need rest Yao-ge."

Yao nodded and quietly left the room. Mei lay there; her thoughts obsessing over that dream. Just then she realized that there was a coat wrapped around her that wasn't hers. She took a moment to examine the jacket and found that there was a distinct scent coming from it. Mei took in the scent and to her it smelled so familiar and so very heavenly; there was no use denying that it was Xiang's. The fact made her blush madly but she buried her face into her pillow, trying to calm herself. Her thoughts took her back to the dream and what had it meant and most importantly, why Xiang was the one to say it to her. He was constantly on her mind and at this point she realized something she was denying. She had fallen for him.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Don't own Hetalia

**A/n: Another update~ I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter as I didn't really go too detailed into the violence and there was a lot of suspense and fluff no? Also Kyle and Lyle are just people that you don't have to worry about. If you guys noticed, I went really heavily onto the theme of music and dreams so that gives you something to think about ;) And the suspense you get in this chapter? It's only a droplet of what's to come so stay tuned for Under the Light :)**

**And just as a random note, the next update might come a bit later because I shall be graduating in just a few days from high school so I'm really excited/nervous. But the update will come, just later. Bye for now my dear readers and don't forget to review if you can. Every review makes me very happy.**


	8. Chapter 08: Exposing Secret

_An endless search for the truth that many undergo but what lies beyond is far too unknown; yet when that point is reached, a breakthrough is shattered and a conclusion is met_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 8:**_

_**Exposing Secret**_

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Summer was approaching very quickly and the school's "surprise" would be revealed within a week. This was exciting news for the Academy because of the students' long and tedious year of work to finally be awarded with something. And just as expected, the students couldn't stay calm for the upcoming event and were quite restless; even during class when they were supposed to be quiet and studying.

Despite the exciting news, one particular girl was depressed. Mei stared out through the window, looking for something that would cheer her up instead of the lingering melancholy she was currently feeling. The source of her sorrow was a certain boy. Xiang hadn't appeared for class for the past two weeks and she hadn't seen him ever since the party.

Yue and Tai took note of Mei's depressive attitude. Yue couldn't bear to see her best friend in that kind of condition. The couple started to whisper to one another, trying to concoct a plan that would get Mei out of her sadness.

"What can we do?" asked Tai.

"I don't know!" she exclaimed. "Usually playing a song would cheer her right up but even that hasn't worked."

"I wonder what caused this…"

"Who knows, she won't talk to me about it…"

"Have you asked her?"

"Of cour-… I haven't…"

"Well go do it then! She's your best friend; she should be able to tell you anything right?"

Yue sighed. "Right. I wonder why I haven't done so…"

Tai gave Yue a quick peck to her cheek and smiled. "No worries Yue. Just go do it now and then we can come up with a proper plan."

The Vietnamese girl blushed slightly and nodded as she headed off to her friend. Mei was still looking out the window, occasionally sighing to herself. Yue walked up behind Mei and lightly tapped her on her shoulder, breaking the girl out of her daydream.

"Huh?" Mei turned around and saw her friend, smiling at her. "Yue? What's up?"

Yue took a seat next to Mei and made sure that Mei was focused on her. "I'll get right to the point Mei. What's wrong with you?"

"H-huh? W-what do you mean?" she asked nervously.

"You know what I mean. You've been so out of it lately and you look so sad. What's wrong? You can tell me anything."

"Okay don't judge me but… I think I've fallen for someone…"

Yue turned wide eyed and held her hands. "Are you serious?" she exclaimed. "Who is it? Do I know them? You need to explain."

Mei was startled by Yue's unusual outburst. Thinking about the questions, Mei blushed slightly. "Yeah I'm completely serious. You do know him… its Xiang…"

Yue blinked her eyes a few times and pinched herself "Ow… this isn't a dream… Mei I don't know what to say."

"W-well… tell me what you think," she asked shyly.

"First I'm happy that you like someone that way, but really? Why is it Xiang? He seems so… silent and like one of those bad boys that only attracts girls for the sake of looking cool."

"He's not like that at all!" she exclaimed. "He's really sweet and kind… and he doesn't mean to act that way. He just comes off like that. He's a really deep person once you get to know him and he's a good person."

"Is that so? I just don't see that from him. Maybe I'm missing something."

"I'm not sure if anyone else can see it but I know I can. Something tells me that he's more than what he seems and I can hear part of it from his music."

"Ah so it comes back to music again."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, slightly irritated.

"It's just; you connect with music in so many ways Mei. But I'm happy you found that thing missing from your music or rather that person."

Mei blushed slightly. "So you support me?"

"Of course I do," Yue answered. "You're my best friend and I only want what makes you happy. And if that means being with Xiang then I'm perfectly fine with it. Except there are a few problems."

"W-what?" she asked nervously.

"First is his fan club; those girls are really crazy for him."

"Oh… they don't have to know, do they?"

"I think they'll figure it out eventually. But we'll worry about that later. The next and probably the most important is where is he?"

"… I don't know."

Yue sighed. "Okay that we can worry about later too but we have to know if he likes you back."

"I think he does… but I can't be too sure. He just does these little gestures for me."

"Like what?"

"Agreeing to play with me, giving me his coat during this party and I think he saved my life before…"

"Those things don't sound so little Mei. It's really likely that he does like you."

The Taiwanese hid her face as she began to blush. "Y-you think?"

"Of course," she answered, sincerely. "Now don't be so sad. You have to show that amazing smile of yours for him."

"A-alright. I can't help it though. I miss seeing him so much."

"You're like a love sick puppy Mei," teased Yue. Mei pouted as her blush grew across her face. "Okay but seriously now. I have an idea! Let's go out tonight."

"And do what?"

"Just have fun. I'm sure Tai will want to come along too so we can go as friends and just hang out."

"This is starting to sound like a date for you two and I'm the third wheel…"

Yue sighed. "Mei… I don't want you thinking that. We're your friends and we're here to help you out of this depressive mood."

Mei cheered up slightly and gave a smile. "Alright then. Tonight right?"

"Right. I'll tell Tai and we'll get the plans together."

"Okay then."

* * *

><p>The city was torn apart with the different atmospheres of the night. At one part of the city was bright and exciting while the other more secluded parts of the city were masked with darkness and filled with tension.<p>

Xiang snuck around the large grounds in complete seclusion. Luckily for the Asian, the grounds were relatively clear of any people but that only raised suspicion. If the grounds were that clear, then the actual building would obviously be more guarded.

Even with the outside in its current state, Xiang wouldn't take any chances. The Asian began to move and he quickly sprinted through the open complex until he found what appeared to be the central building. Xiang immediately pressed his back to the side of the building and began to search for an entrance into it. He looked up and found that there were a few windows and one of them was open.

Xiang removed a grappling hook from his bag and launched it upwards. After making sure it was locked onto the side of the window, he began to scale the walls. He moved in quickly and pulled himself through the window, landing on a metal floor.

Xiang mentally cursed himself for creating even the slightest sound via the metal floor but now he had to move. As Xiang ran on top of the metal, each step created a clang in contact with the cool metal. The Asian tried to silence the sounds but it was nearly impossible.

The sudden sounds of machinery made Xiang halt and back up to the wall. Slowly, he crept to the side of the railing and looked down to see the bottom floor. Xiang found that this wasn't a building at all. It was a warehouse factory.

The people roamed across the concrete, most were wearing some kind of jumpsuit and they were all pushing crates of something. The boxes were white in appearance and it looked like something was emitting from the crates. A white gas was slowly flowing from the crates and the men stopped.

A couple of men wearing white lab coats emerged and walked over to the boxes. One of the men opened the crates and the scientist reached into it. After a short moment, his hand emerged with a human heart.

The heart was inside a bag, most likely to keep it sterilized. The scientist placed the heart back into the crate and closed the lid. The men continued to move them to the other side of the building and Xiang followed quietly.

Xiang wondered something however. There was no one on that floor. It was far too easy.

It was almost as if he jinxed himself when the railing holding the platform up was suddenly released and Xiang came crashing down. Before he reached the ground however, he held onto the chain holding the platform, slowing his descent but his hand suffered for it. Xiang finally landed safely to the ground but Xiang took a moment to clutch his scratched up hand.

Xiang held his head up as a group of men carrying guns surrounded him. Xiang looked at them and they were all ready to shoot if they had to. Remaining perfectly still, Xiang waited until someone made the first move.

Slow heavy steps started to echo thought the factory as everyone waited; the tension rising with each passing moment. Soon enough, a tall man appeared, holding an unusually large cat with him. The guards moved aside for him as he stared down at Xiang.

"What's going on here?"

"Ah Master Matthew, we apologize for the disturbance but we found this intruder lurking on the platforms."

The man had very dark black hair and it would appear he was tense due to his shoulders being scrunched up, like a turtle in a way. The man also carried a distinct personality; he seemed accident prone and very destructive. "Hmm it's fine. He looks like he's in shape so his organs should be useful. Make sure not to damage the body."

The guards began to close in on Xiang, sealing his movements even more. Xiang tried to calculate a plan of action. If he were to strike now, he might be injured. But if he allowed them to take him, the guards would lessen and he'd be given an opportunity to escape but if they held him too strictly then it'd be impossible. Xiang considered these things and he made up his mind.

Just as the guards neared him, Xiang leaped into the air and used the men surrounding him as stepping stones. Xiang continued to step off of the men until he landed on the other side of the group. The guards turned around and aimed at Xiang. Quickly, Xiang tossed out a smoke bomb and soon enough the area was covered in smoke. Xiang maneuvered accordingly as the guards were in panic and confusion.

Xiang had the advantage in this fight; the guards weren't allowed to harm his internal organs so they wouldn't use guns to shot him but that didn't mean they didn't have something to paralyze him. The smoke screen only added to his advantage; they couldn't shoot or else they might kill each other. Xiang wasn't restricted to that.

Xiang took out his gun and began shooting rapidly into the large crowd. He could hear the shouts of the people as bodies began to fall one by one. Xiang didn't falter as he continued to attack the mass until everything soon became quiet. The smoke cleared and there was a massive pile of bodies that lay in the corner of the room.

Xiang's eyes began to roam for the leader's body but it was nowhere to be found. Going on a hunch, Xiang shot up into the air and he could hear the distinct cry of a cat. The Asian turned his head and saw the leader known as Matthew, running as he carried a struggling cat. The man was already too far to get a direct shot at him so Xiang placed his guns back to their resting place, replacing it with a smaller pistol and running after the man.

Matthew tried to navigate himself through the complex in order to lose the assassin but Xiang stayed close behind. The chase seemed unending; Xiang was unfamiliar with the structure of the building so Matthew was able to gain a slight lead. The man continued his run until he was met with a terrible situation. He reached a dead end.

Matthew quickly turned around to try and find another path but at the end of the hallway stood Xiang. The man backed up against the cold stone wall behind him as Xiang slowly walked toward him. Matthew whipped out a gun and aimed it at Xiang, trying to shoot at him but his aim was horrible. Instead, the Asian took out his gun and shot it into the air.

Matthew looked at this act confused but what he didn't notice was the cat in his arm was now frantic. The cat leaped from his spot and began to scratch angrily at his face. Matthew dropped his gun and turned all his attention to tearing the cat off from his face. After a few seconds, he was successful and the cat fell to the ground with a soft thud. The cat had landed on its feet and quickly scurried off but as Matthew raised his head from the cat, in front of him stood Xiang.

Before he could escape, Xiang reached out and tightened his hold on Matthew's neck. He raised the man off the ground as his hand continued to be clamped onto his throat. In a swift movement, Xiang grabbed onto the center of his chest and twisted the skin and tore it off.

Matthew fell to the ground screaming in pain as his chest bled out. Xiang only stared down at him, his face not changing. "You thought you could get my organs?"

Matthew helped himself up, using the wall as his hand still clutched the center of his chest. Nothing could've prepared him for the next thing Xiang did. The Cantonese boy plunged his hand into the center of his chest and forcibly tore out a delicate organ. The man immediately lost all sense in his mind as it began to grow into a blank, his eyes slowly whiting out.

Xiang didn't allow him to fall however. He used his other hand to hold up his face, along with the rest of his body. Xiang's bloody hand discarded the organ and he reached in once more. This time he retrieved a beating heart.

The blood splattered all over the ground as it trickled down to the floor. The Asian crushed the heart within his hand; the blood within its source exploded as it covered the small range of area. Xiang quietly dropped the empty and dried husk to the floor and turned away from the scene.

The hallways were very quiet, almost too quiet for Xiang. It was a very large complex and he had expected more people to appear even though he had killed most of the guards and the leader. Just then, he remembered that there were more people; the scientists. Xiang broke into a run, realizing he had to escape before help was called.

Just as he reached a wider area; he heard a gunshot whiz by him. Immediately, Xiang took evasive action and rolled behind a pillar. At the same time, he took out his gun and shot back as he was still rolling. Even though he didn't know what he was shooting, he did know where the shot came from.

He acted quickly and began to run; staying close to the walls so the darkness would hide him. With each step he took, he could hear the sounds of gunfire following him. Xiang could easily fight back if he only knew who he was attacking him but he had to be on guard or else he would suffer the consequences.

Xiang soon found himself inside what seemed to be a storage area. Even though the room was dark, his eyes were easily accustomed to the darkness and he found a ladder. Just as he began to climb it, the lights flashed on and Xiang accelerated his movements. Xiang pressed his back against the wall as he eyed the ground. He was sure his presence would be hidden so it was the perfect chance to find out who his assailant was.

He could hear footsteps echoing through the empty storage area. Xiang leaned in slightly and finally saw his adversary. It was a somewhat short girl with dark black hair. Although, even from such a distance, Xiang could tell that she wasn't as short as Mei was. From her movements, Xiang could tell that she had a somewhat spontaneous and dynamic nature. Above all else, she had guts to actually try and sneak up on him.

The Asian began to devise a plan of attack but he was limited in his choices. He had exhausted almost all of his ammo when he slaughtered the guards and he didn't want to take the chance of using the rest of them up unless he absolutely had to. He couldn't go hand-to-hand combat unless he got in close and because he was standing on a higher platform, his presence would easily be given away if he were to just dive down and attack. Plus if he did go down, he would be spotted and shot at.

His options were limited in these cases. Xiang quietly began to walk across the platform in search of anything that would be of use to him; it was a storage facility after all. As he passed by some glass containers, one in particular caught his eye. It was labeled 'subcutaneous fat'. This truly was one of the top organ operations if they literally used everything from a human's body.

Xiang unsheathed his sword and held it so he'd be ready to smash the glass container. He waited until the girl was right above the container and he smashed it. The girl heard the sound of the smash and looked up but when she did, about fifty gallons worth of fat came pouring down on her.

The girl cried out and began to curse heavily at the act. Xiang didn't waste any time in his plan as he then moved his sword over the metal railing, creating white and yellow sparks.

In an instant, the girl burst into flames. The girl panicked as she screamed in agony at being engulfed in fire but she could do nothing as it happened. Xiang sheathed his sword and began to climb back down, now certain that he could do so without being attacked. Just as he arrived to the ground floor, the girl finally collapsed to the ground, unmoving as the flames continued to burn. Soon enough, the flames died out and all that was left was a charred corpse and the smell of burnt flesh in the air.

Now that any opposition was crushed, Xiang could obliterate the building. Xiang began to remove devices from his bag. His explosives would certainly be able to take down the complex as long as he blew up the critical points. Xiang began to move around and attach the devices to pillars, setting the detonation time so that it would blow up before anyone could stop it.

* * *

><p>The sirens of police cars began to arrive at the scene. The large force was given orders to track down a certain assassin and this particular attack gave them the perfect opportunity to gain some ground on the said assassin. The police force had all exits guarded and blocked and were awaiting orders to storm into the complex. But the chief refused to do so until he was absolutely sure that it would be safe. After all, this assassin has destroyed countless organizations before hand and hardly ever left a trace of his presence.<p>

The chief sighed to himself as the cops sat in wait. Just then, another car pulled up to the scene and out came a familiar blond headed man. "Hey Chief! I'm here now!"

"Alfred, you always arrive late… but at least you're here for this."

"There's no way I would miss this," he cried. "You told everyone that this was a top priority matter. Also I brought along a little help."

Just on cue, another blond came out from the passenger seat, looking a little woozy as he emerged. He walked over and stood besides Alfred and their features were so similar. "I'm here Chief," he announced softly.

"Ah Matthew, it's good that you're here. You always keep your brother in order."

The two were almost exact twins in appearance, except there were defining traits that would give away their identity. Alfred was daring, loud and basically a typical American. Matthew was almost the exact opposite. He was shy, quiet and you could hardly notice him next to his louder brother.

"So what's the situation?" Matthew asked shyly.

"We were given a distress call about an assailant attacking this complex. And judging from the information we received from that unknown benefactor, it is highly likely that that assassin that's been roaming our city is here."

"So all we have to do his catch this guy and were golden," exclaimed Alfred.

"Don't put it so lightly Alfred. This person is extremely dangerous. We have no idea what he's capable of."

"I know, I know. So what are we waiting for? The fourth of July?" he joked.

"We need to wait for the swat team to arrive. They'll infiltrate the complex and check if it's clear for us to enter and apprehend the assassin. But I'm giving orders to kill if absolutely necessary. It would be ideal not to kill him so we can take him in for questioning but he is a menace to this city."

"Aww, alright then. Getting this guy will make our lives a bit easier and make the city safer."

"Right, now we wait."

Soon enough, the swat team's vehicle arrived and this reassured the chief a bit. The squad rushed out and began to enter a formation to infiltrate the facility. Just as they were about to break through the gate, a large explosion erupted from building.

The policemen ducked behind their cars as rubble came flying. That single explosion wasn't the end of it; multiple explosives were going off as covered the entire area of buildings. After the endless minutes of destruction, things finally calmed down as a stream of smoke and piles of rubble came into existence.

The men raised their heads from their cars and looked at the destruction before them. They were completely stunned. The Chief looked at it differently though; he saw that they failed once again to stop the assassin.

Just then, a lone policeman came forward in a rush to the Chief. "Sir, one of our men spotted someone emerging from the buildings just before the explosions went off. Right now we're preparing to pursuit."

The Chief's eyes opened and he snapped back into action. "All forces follow that assailant, he must be the assassin. Don't lose him," he ordered.

"Yes sir," they shouted.

The men began to scramble into their cars and the roar of police sirens went off. The cops pursued the lone person as they entered the only known road that led the complex. As they got closer to the person, they found he was riding on a motorcycle, cloaked completely in black.

Xiang could easily see the horde of police cars following him through his side mirror and accelerated. This was the first time the police ever had even a chance of seeing Xiang but he was certain they wouldn't be able to catch him. The Cantonese teen knew it would be risky to continue following the road as it was so the moment he saw a separate dirt road, he took it.

Even though the cars continued to follow him, they were more limited now since there were now trees obstructing their view. Xiang proceeded to remove a small box from his bag and he tossed the cube behind him. The police cars fell into his trap as they ran over the box, making it erupt with pins and tacks. It was a simple trap but very effective.

The cars piled up from the crash, allowing Xiang to easily escape from them. The Asian returned to the main road and it was completely void of any other people but that bothered Xiang. Those couldn't be the only policemen and something was brought to his attention. How did they know to expect him? Even if the scientists called for assistance, it was just too coincidental. He had to get more information and the source would be the police department itself.

Xiang began to plot the course for the police station and picked the route that would most likely hold less cops. The route held true since the roads were empty of any signs of authority. Xiang decided to part a few blocks away from the police station. He took out his grappling hook and tossed it up to the closest building and climbed it. This way would be safer since anyone would expect someone to go on ground but not from the roof tops.

Xiang started to leap from the building's rooftops to the next, getting closer and closer to the police department. He was now staring across the streets to the station and found that there weren't many policemen on guard duty. Xiang took this opportunity and snuck across to the top of the station.

The station was one of the tallest buildings in the city and the rooftop was very large because it held a helicopter as well. Xiang quickly scoped out the roof and saw that it was empty but he couldn't let his guard down with just that. He was on enemy territory and unlike all his other missions before hand; he had absolutely no info to go off of. For all he knew, there could be security cameras everywhere and he couldn't be sure how many policemen still resided in the building.

Xiang ran across the roof and to the single door that would lead to the lower floors. To his surprise, it seemed there was a power box on the side of the entrance. Xiang opened it and was pleased to find controls to the buildings power. He was sure this wouldn't be the main control system but it would give him the opportunity he needed. Without any hesitation, he snapped every single wire in the box. Within moments, the building started to experience power surges and sometimes even went black.

He couldn't waste this opportunity now so he entered the building. The main hallway's lights were incredibly dimmed by the lack of power but Xiang wasn't sure how much time he had before they came back at full power.

Xiang had to find a computer of some sorts as soon as possible. He would be able to gain a considerable amount of information in a short time just from that. The sudden shifting noise of someone caught his attention. He pressed his back against the wall next to the door and listened closely to the people or person that was within. He could hear the chatter of about six people. Luckily, he still had eight shots left in his gun before he would run out.

Xiang readied himself in front of the door and kicked it open. Without wasting any time, he aimed and shot all six policemen in the head, killing them instantly as blood was splattered all over the room. Xiang closed the door behind him and went over to the computer.

He took out a device from his pocket and plugged it into the computer. The device did its job and started to hack the computer for any information Xiang needed. Xiang was glad he was able to obtain a map of the complex but what he really wanted wasn't on this computer. He needed to find out how they knew about him.

It was clear that Xiang had a reputation of destruction but he had always taken or destroyed any evidence of his presence at those missions. So it was safe to assume that someone knew more than they should and that person needed to disappear before any more information got out about him. The only valuable thing Xiang was able to retrieve was who his target was. The Chief.

It was likely the Chief was still searching for him so he had to lure his target to him. Xiang reached down and removed one of the communication devices from the dead policeman. He pressed the button to allow him to speak to others. It didn't matter who he contacted; his message would be delivered to the Chief regardless.

"Attention," he said, trying to sound desperate. "We're under attack by an unknown assailant inside the police station. We require assistance immediately." Xiang lifted his finger from the button and waited for a response.

"We've received your distress call. Our forces are on our way to the station. Please remain calm. We believe this assailant might be the assassin that we've been searching for. He's extremely dangerous so be careful."

Xiang dropped the device to the floor and crushed it with his feet. The chief and his forces would arrive at any minute now and he was sure the chief would come in person to meet with the 'policeman' who gave out the message. It was now only a matter of execution that would decide how this would turn out. And Xiang was certain that it would go his way.

* * *

><p>Almost every single police car in the city was rushing toward the police station. Many started to arrive at the same time, completely surrounding the station. The first person to step out was the chief. He strolled over to the front of the building as others began to join him in facing the building.<p>

"What's the status on the people inside?" he asked.

"We couldn't announce it to everyone so there are still people inside."

"He could have hostages for all we know. But first thing we have to do is get those people out of there. Everyone, we're moving in," he ordered.

The officers did as they were told and began to storm into the building. They all quickly rushed to get any non-combatant out of the building while at the same time staying vigilant for any signs of the assassin. The strange thing however was there didn't seem to be any signs of him being there although they still hadn't searched every floor yet.

The chief strolled in as he was accompanied by two officers. "What's the status on the evacuation?"

"We have conformation that almost everyone has been evacuated from the building. Any and all personal should have received a private message via their communicators and we've taken into account all but six people."

"Where are they?"

"We don't know. They won't respond."

The chief's face grew solemn. "We have to assume they've been killed." The chief seemed to ponder the situation for a moment before he raised his head. "I want four of the most skilled agents we have at hand right now. I'm going to take them into the building and find the bodies of the men and we don't know if the assassin is still around so they'll be useful as protection as well."

One of the officers nodded and hurried off to find the agents. After a few minutes passed, the officer came back with for men clad in their swat team uniform and protection. The chief took off his coat and replaced it for a bullet-proof vest, wanting to be extra cautious.

"Alright men, let's move out."

The group began to shuffle through the building, making sure to check every corner of the building. It was a tedious task to be sure but it was the best thing they could do for that situation. If a larger group were to explore, they would be an easy target for the assassin. The chief saw firsthand that he had access to explosives so it was possible that he could literally take them all out if he wanted to.

"Chief, we've checked everywhere," exclaimed one of the agents. "I'm not sure the assassin is even here anymore."

"He couldn't have escaped that easily… Wait, we haven't checked my office yet." The group immediately changed direction and went toward the office. "One of you stay outside incase he tries to enter the office while we're not paying attention." As ordered, one stayed at the end of the hallway, remaining completely vigilant as the others slowly entered the office.

The room was dimly lit as the only source of light came from the computer at the other side of the room. One of the agents chose to close the door behind them as they furthered their entry into the room. That was a mistake.

Xiang had hidden himself right above the doorframe and now that the door was closed, there was no need for him to remain secretive. Xiang quickly unsheathed his sword and leaped from his hiding place. The guards turned around in reflex to Xiang's presence but they were too slow. Xiang had already expected it and used a thrust and it easily went through one of the agent's necks.

The blade still remained inside the neck but Xiang didn't let go of his sword as he continued his momentum and slammed his elbow into one other guard, knocking him back in disorientation and hitting the chief as well. The other agent readied his gun to shoot Xiang but at this point, Xiang removed his sword from the man's neck and sprayed blood onto the agent's protective helmet; effectively blinding him.

Xiang jumped into the air and kicked the man in the center of his chest, knocking him back into the wall. Xiang didn't waste any moment in his assault as he continued and slammed his foot yet again in the man's head, breaking the wall behind him because of the force. Xiang jumped back and saw the disjointed neck, knowing that he was now dead.

He turned his attention back to the remaining agent and sprinted off to attack. At this point, the agent returned to his feet but just as he was about to shoot, Xiang was already inches away from him. Xiang lifted his sword up and knocked the gun into the air. Xiang pushed the man back and the airborne rifle found its resting place in Xiang's hands now.

Xiang pulled the trigger and rapidly shot the man in a flash of bullets until he exhausted every last shell he had. Now that he was done, all that was left was a bloodied corpse that lay lifeless against the wall of the room. Xiang discarded the rifle and focused his attentions to the chief who was pressed up to the side of his desk.

The chief sprang to his feet and charged Xiang in pure rage. Xiang simply struck the chief in the center of his stomach, making him gasp as he lost his breath. Xiang then spun around to his back and took his handcuffs and quickly locked the chief's hands. The Asian then kicked the man from behind and knocked him to the ground.

Xiang sighed to himself. "That was troublesome." The boy walked over to the chief and grabbed him by the back of his coat and dragged him over to his desk and shoved him into his chair. The chief was ready to spring up and fight back until Xiang pulled out his gun and aimed it at the chief's forehead. "Stay calm now. You wouldn't want to do anything rash," he said, dully.

"What do you want with me?" the chief growled. "Why didn't you just kill me like you did with the others?"

"Don't think of yourself so lightly. I need information and you're the only one who can give it to me."

"I'm not going to tell you anything!" he spat.

Xiang sighed. "Why can't people be more cooperative…? I'm going to ask you a few questions then."

"I said I'm not going to-"

"First question," he interrupted. "How did you know I'd be at the complex?"

"I'm not going to tell you." The chief turned his head away from Xiang but Xiang forced his face back to his. This time however, Xiang's eyes were filled with an extremely cold gaze that sent shivers running down his back.

"I'll ask again in a different way. Who told you I'd be at the complex?"

"… Someone…"

Xiang stared intently at him, searching for any signs of truth or lies in his eyes. "You're telling the truth it seems. Which means you don't even know who gave you the information… I guess that's all I'm going to ask you." The chief looked slightly relieved but Xiang made him tense up again when he removed his communication device. "But I'll have you do something else for me."

"What do you want this time?" he demanded.

"You'll tell every single one of your officers and agents to never look for me. Rather make it so that they all think my existence has been erased."

"Why in the world would I do that for you?" he snapped.

"I think it'd be in your best interest. After all, you wouldn't want to endanger your family, would you?"

The chief's eyes grew wide with shock and anger. He didn't want to endanger his precious family but at the same time, if he did what Xiang asked, he would be free to continue his missions and no one would expect the same person. Xiang still held the device in front of him, waiting for a reply until the chief nodded slightly.

"I'll do it…" Xiang's response was activating the communicator. "Attention all agents. This is your chief… the assassin has been killed." Xiang continued the urge him however. He began to whisper lines to the chief, telling him to say every word. "B-but I have been critically injured. I won't be with any of you anymore. Don't mourn my death and continue your duty as officers of the law…"

Xiang was now satisfied with the answer and he discarded the communicator. Xiang proceeded and opened the bullet proof vest and aimed his gun to the center of the chief's chest. Without any hesitation, he shot and the man fell of the chair and collapsed to the ground as a pool of blood began to form.

He bent down and removed the handcuffs from the man and now planned his escape from the building. Xiang looked out the window of the chief's office and saw that almost all the policemen were rushing into the building and now there was a wide gap in defense in the back of the building.

Xiang left the room quickly and headed for the back. Unbeknownst to Xiang however, the lone guard that stayed behind to guard their backs; heard everything and saw everything that just occurred. The only reason he didn't act was because he was terrified of what happened but now all that occupied his mind was revenge for his comrades that Xiang had just murdered.

The agent followed Xiang right out to the back of the building. Xiang had already reached quite a distance away but the agent wasn't planning on letting him escape. He saw the nearest motorcycle and took it. He ignited the engine and began to pursuit Xiang but with this action, he revealed his presence to the assassin. Xiang took action and ran even faster until he got to his own motorcycle. He hopped onto the vehicle and immediately started it and sped off but at the same time, the agent followed close behind him.

* * *

><p>The night air seemed to have a strange taste of freshness as the trio emerged from the theatre. The small groups' sprits were raised high thanks to the enjoyment of the show they just saw and now there were left with the rest of the night. Something however was strange; the city was unusually quiet. Usually that part of the city would be booming with sound from the festivities that occurred every night but for some reason it was silent.<p>

"That was a great show," commented Tai.

"Yeah it was," Yue agreed. "Did you enjoy it Mei?"

"Yeah I did. It's great having these outings once in a while." Mei took a moment too look around the streets but she noticed the change in scenery. "Hey? Where is everyone?"

The couple took this time to look around as well but they were just as confused. "I'm not sure," answered Yue. "Isn't this part of the city supposed to be filled with people?"

"That's what I thought too," responded Mei. "Maybe we're out later than usual?"

Before Yue could respond, an officer walked over to them. He held a distinct worry on his face as he found them. "What are you three still doing out?" he asked.

"We were seeing a show," Tai answered simply.

"Nevertheless, have you all not heard? Everyone is ordered to stay in their homes for tonight."

"Why?" Yue asked.

"There's a dangerous individual on the loose. It'd be in your best interest and safety to go back home immediately and don't walk the streets alone if you do."

"Oh is that so? Thanks for the warning officer. We'll be going home right away then," announced Tai. He quickly moved the other two girls to find the car to return home and they waved goodbye to the officer.

The group went to find the car parked on the street. It wasn't difficult since Tai's was the only one on the streets for blocks. "So that's what's going on," Tai said out loud.

"Yeah, we should do what he said and get home."

"Right, let's get going then."

During the entire time, Mei was silent as she remained deep in thought and worry. Yue looked over to her and pulled her into a gentle hug, knowing exactly why she was upset. "It's alright Mei. I'm sure Xiang is fine wherever he is."

Mei was somewhat stunned that Yue knew what she was thinking but recovered quickly. "Thanks Yue… I can't help worrying…"

"It's fine. Let's just get home, okay?"

Mei nodded silently and prepared to enter the car when the sounds of motorcycles filled the street. The girl lifted her head up to see what was causing the sound and her eyes grew wide in a single moment. That single moment when a dark figure on a motorcycle passed right past her and he was immediately followed by another but the second person was a policemen.

Mei abandoned her intended action and ran off to follow the two motorcycles. Yue yelled out to her to come back but Mei didn't listen as she followed as quickly as she could. She was certain of it, that dark figure was the same one who saved her that night. No matter what she wouldn't lose sight of them.

* * *

><p>Xiang went as fast as he could but the officer stayed close behind him. He couldn't continue to let him follow him any further. Xiang looked ahead and began to form a plan. Instantaneously, Xiang made a sharp turn into an alleyway which threw the officer off for only a minute. When he caught up to Xiang, he was standing at the end of the alleyway, not intending to run at all.<p>

The officer stopped his vehicle and slowly stepped off to face Xiang. In that brief moment when they faced each other, Xiang could see the rage filled inside of his eyes but the agent could see nothing behind the helmet. The two dashed off and engaged in their fight. The agent fought like a berserker against Xiang with an onslaught of fists and kicks but none made contact with Xiang. The boy could easily read every single move the agent threw at him and responded accordingly.

Soon enough, the officer began to slow down from exhaustion and this gave Xiang his opportunity to strike back. Xiang raised his leg and slammed it into the man's chest, knocking him back. With that strike, the officer regained some of his sense; realizing that his own rage was making this a one-sided battle. At this point, he couldn't afford to drag the battle out. He had to finish it now.

As Xiang approached him, the officer readied his next move. He would only have one chance to do this. Now that Xiang stood in front of him, the officer whipped out his gun and aimed it at Xiang's head but what he didn't realize was Xiang saw it coming and already had his gun out.

The agent grinded his teeth together before he screamed out and pulled the trigger. Blood was splattered across the ground as the agent fell to the ground lifeless but Xiang still remained standing. Suddenly, a cracking noise was emitted as Xiang's helmet broke in half and fell off from his head. Xiang blinked his eyes slowly as he sighed to himself. The officer was actually that foolish to shoot someone with protective headwear and not anywhere else.

Xiang bent down to pick up his broken helmet and when he lifted his head, his eyes widened as he saw a figure at the end of the alley staring at him. The light from behind the figure made it so he couldn't tell who it was but whoever it was could clearly see him. Xiang blinked his eyes to make sure he wasn't delusional and when he opened his eyes again, the figure was gone. Nevertheless, he had to make sure and he ran out to the streets and circled his head around the entire street but he saw no one. Perhaps he was just imagining things and it could be explained by the shock he received from the bullet. Even if he didn't get killed, the bullet still packed enough force to make him slightly dizzy.

Xiang shrugged off his assumptions and returned to his motorcycle. He ignited the engine and speeded off into the streets, making sure to keep his head low so no one would see his face. As he rode the streets, his thoughts were brought back to that figure. He really did wonder if he was jut imagining things.

* * *

><p>Mei was pressed up to the back of a wall, her eyes wide open as she trembled at what she just saw. She was able to chase down the two riders to the alleyway but she only just arrived when the shots were exchanged. And she could clearly see the assassin that everyone had been talking about. There was no mistaking that it was Xiang.<p>

The silent and mysterious boy that she had come to know was an assassin. But not just any ordinary one; she realized he was the one who saved her so many nights ago. Mei raised her head as she stared into the night sky. She held her hand tightly against her chest as he closed her eyes.

She could hear her rapidly beating heart accelerate at the thought of him. Even though she knew Xiang was dangerous, that didn't change her feelings. Rather, she could feel that they only grew stronger at realizing the secret that he had been hiding from everyone.

Mei opened her eyes once again. No matter how frightened or how nervous she would be, she would tell him her feelings. Deep down in her heart, she could feel her yearning for him and even with the truth revealed, nothing would change her desire to be with him.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I don't own Hetalia

**A/n: Hey everyone, it's been a while since the last update huh? Well here you go. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter as the suspense grows even more. **

**Now for a little explanation for those who might not understand some scenes. The first Matthew is not the Matthew Williams you Hetalia fans know about. Even though I do make him appear later in the chapter along with Alfred. Second, the scene where the girl burst into flames is a type of spontaneous combustion that I researched. You see, that type of human fat, even the right environmental conditions just needs a spark to ignite it; even if the spark doesn't physically touch the fat. **

**Just to let you guys know about the next update, expect some intense angst from the main two. You guys can probably guess what's gonna happen but I'm not gonna say anything and let your imaginations go. **

**Also, another update on my drama fic, Fate of Soul, a rough outline for that is complete so expect some of that to be coming soon. But don't forget to go to my profile and to the poll and vote for which pairings you would like to see in the story. Please be quick about it because I don't like making significant changes later on if I already have a solid plot line. So I'll give you guys a week? before I finalize the poll. **

**That's all for now, see you guys next time with another update. Also thank you to my dear readers and my reviewers. All reviews are read and greatly appreciated.**


	9. Chapter 09: Luminous Disclosure

_Even though the truth is revealed beneath the light, many are blinded by it, some refuse to believe it but in those times of darkness, it shines even more brightly. _

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 9:**_

_**Luminous Disclosure**_

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"Xiang, where have you been? We received confirmation that you destroyed the complex but you didn't return back to headquarters."

Xiang had returned to headquarters right after kill the last agent and now he was knelling in front of Arthur in his office. "I was planning to until the police started to follow me. I found that it'd be in our best interest if I learned more about their actions so I acted on my own to retrieve information. In the end, I killed the chief and learned that someone has been leaking information to them. But I handled the situation by faking my death so they shouldn't be trying to find me anymore."

Arthur took a moment to ponder what Xiang had just told him and what he did. "That's good that you found information and dealt with our police problem but don't act on your own like that. At least give us some warning if you do because if you failed, we would suffer repercussions."

"I'll remember that but I didn't fail."

"It's good that you didn't. You're still greatly needed in this organization as our top assassin. Which brings us to our next topic."

"Another mission?" he guessed.

"Yes. But you'll be glad to know that you can relax at the same time."

Xiang raised his eye in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"You'll be going back to the academy for this."

At this moment, Xiang's mood brightened up significantly at the news but he still held his deadpan appearance. "Really?"

"Yes really. You see the school trip that they'll be undertaking will be the perfect guise we need for you to get to the enemy's base. And after you finish the mission, you can spend the rest of the trip enjoying yourself and relaxing."

"That… is good news."

Arthur smiled. "I'm glad. I had to go through a lot to convince Kiku but I did it. You seem somewhat different ever since you went to the academy. You seem… happier."

"Is that so? Well thank you."

Arthur nodded. "It's nothing. Just do your job and here." Arthur pulled a folder from his desk and gave it to Xiang. "Make sure to study the contents because that'll be all the intel you need for this mission. But I'll be calling occasionally to check up on you, okay?"

Xiang nodded and stepped up. He quickly bowed and left the room. As he walked down the hallway, he was in high spirits at the new mission. He didn't really care about doing it but what he did like was the fact that he could be at the academy and see his precious friend.

* * *

><p>Xiang arrived to the academy earlier than usual as he carried his belongings with him. The campus seemed vacant of any students and faculty members. Regardless, Xiang was anxious to see his friend and went straight to their room. When he arrived however, he found that it too was void of anyone. The strange thing was he could clearly hear the soft breathing of others but they were sleeping after all. So where was Mei?<p>

He was determined to find the answer to that as he set his things on the side of his bed. Right after, he went out the door, being vigilant of any one. The hallways were still void of anyone and Xiang was starting to lose any hope of seeing anyone that could help him. But just as he was going to turn back, he spotted a familiar face, Yue.

He quickly walked over to the girl and she noticed his presence instantly. She turned around and was surprised to find Xiang standing in the hallway with her. "Xiang? You're back?"

"I just got back today," Xiang answered.

"Oh, well that's good but what are you doing here so early? Everyone is still asleep."

Xiang seemed somewhat hesitant in telling the true reason why he was there so early but found something else to say. "I just wanted to get settled more quickly. If everyone's asleep, why are you up?"

Yue seemed suspicious of his answer, knowing he was hiding something. "Well I like to get a shower in before the rush starts. Most of the girls here are really crazy and drama queens."

"Oh I see…" That wasn't enough to answer Xiang's quest to find Mei.

Yue took another look at Xiang's face and she could see the disappointed look in his eyes. "I got it! You're looking for Mei, aren't you?" she accused, smirking slightly.

Xiang was startled by her accusation but she hit the mark on that. "Y-yeah…"

"I knew it! Okay must play this carefully then…" she whispered to herself. "At this time, she should be caring for the flowers in the greenhouse."

"Oh, thanks." Xiang proceeded to go to the greenhouse, not wanting to waste any time in his endeavor.

The sun was just starting to rise as Xiang came close to the greenhouse. By the time he arrived to the greenhouse, it was already bathed in the golden light of the rising sun. Xiang slowly opened the door and entered.

The arboretum was filled with the fresh scent of flowers of all kinds. Xiang took a moment to appreciate the aroma when something caught his attention. Very lightly, he could hear the soft hums of someone nearby. Xiang followed the sounds of the hums until he came to a small clearing; there at the end of the clearing was Mei.

It may have been the lighting but something appeared different about her as she delicately held a flower within her palms. She held her own unique form of elegance and beauty when she smiled softly as she stared kindly into the flower. Nothing seemed to disturb her thoughts while her feelings seemed to overflow from her.

Xiang didn't move a muscle as he admired her; his own smile forming on his lips. Mei began to finish up her care and the moment she did she stood up and turned around; astonished to see Xiang standing only a few feet away from her.

"Xiang?" she asked.

The Cantonese boy waved slightly in response. "I'm back."

In a burst of speed, Mei ran over to her friend and tackled him with a hug. "Xiang! It's been too long." After a few minutes, Mei's eyes snapped opened and she released him, her face slightly pink at realizing what she was doing. "S-so how have you been?"

"I've been… well. How about you?"

"I'm doing well too… I've just been… thinking a lot."

"Oh really? What about?"

"N-nothing!" she lied.

Xiang knew something was up but decided against prodding for any more than she wanted to say. "Okay. We should catch up as we go to class," he suggested.

"That's a great idea," she chirped.

Mei quickly gathered her bag and book and returned to Xiang's side. The two began to walk to class, traveling at a moderate speed as they started to talk. Rather, Mei was doing all the talking. She talked about almost everything that Xiang had missed during his absence but not much. The only things Xiang seemed to miss were the tests but he simply answered the he took them while he was away. This was true to some degree; Arthur had given him the test late last night but he easily finished it within minutes.

At some points of the conversation, she seemed somewhat hesitant to speak as her mind wandered off to the night before. The scene was permanently edged into her brain. If she didn't keep her mind focused on something, she would return to remembering that scene and advance to her feelings over Xiang.

What Mei didn't know was Xiang was feeling something related. He could feel his heart beat faster whenever he was around Mei but he still couldn't distinguish the feeling. Deep in his heart, the feeling of dread made its presence. He started to get an idea of what his feelings were becoming but if they were true, then he couldn't bring himself to ever go through with it. As far as Mei was concerned, he couldn't accept his feelings or else that would only bring danger to her.

Soon enough, Mei ran out of things to say and the two began their awkward silence together as they walked to class. Luckily, for Mei, class was only a few more steps away and she sighed in relief to see others there.

But just as fast as her relief came, it was taken away as screams exploded from the class. Almost the entire girl population surrounded Xiang and pushed Mei out of the way. The girls began to hammer Xiang with questions such as where he went to and then the usual stalker class questions.

Mei went over to her seat and was greatly irritated as usual thanks to the girls of the class. Before she knew it, Yue had found a seat next to her but what bothered Mei was the grin that found its place on Yue's face.

"So how did it go?" she asked, her eyes slightly sparkling.

"What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean? I know you were alone with Xiang."

"W-what? How do you know that?"

"Because Xiang came here extra earlier in the morning to find you and I directed him to where you were. So how did it go?"

"W-we just talked. It was nothing special or news worthy."

"Oh come on Mei. That would've been the perfect chance to confess to him."

"What! What are you even saying?" Mei's face was already scarlet as she continued to glare at Yue.

"Didn't we already have this conversation? I thought we agreed that you'd find out if he liked you or not but you argued that he did. So I expected that you would have confessed to him."

"That makes sense but it's too soon! I mean I just saw him again…"

"Well that shouldn't get in the way of your feelings Mei. Next time you should confess to him. I just want what makes you happy Mei but you can be so stubborn when it comes to these things."

"I will tell him… I just want it to be the right moment."

"Okay Mei, just don't forget to."

The girl nodded in response and Yue returned to her seat. The bell rung and the class finally quieted down since all the girls returned to their seats and allowed Xiang to reach his.

Right on cue, the teacher entered the room and was pleased at everyone's silence. "All right class today is the day for the big announcement." The class held their tongue, waiting enthusiastically. The teacher turned her head and saw Xiang. "Ah Mr. Kirkland, it's nice to see that you've returned for this special announcement. As I was saying, thanks to all your hard work over the year, for this excursion, we'll be taking a three week trip to a private island."

The entire class exploded with applause and cheers. Everyone was excited to be rewarded with such a luxurious expedition. "Okay, the details for the trip will be as I read them. You will be given two days to pack any necessities; we'll be providing a list for that and you may bring whatever entertainment you'd like. Next, we'll be taking a two day cruise to get to the island and this will be included in the three weeks just to let you all know. Also, you'll all get your own rooms, single of course. And most importantly, make sure to enjoy yourselves. You all deserve this so make the most out of it."

The class was immediately excused to inform their families and get an early start on packing. Silence was impossible with the amount of joy that everyone was feeling. Soon enough, the group of Tai, Yue, Mei and Xiang found each other and they traveled together toward their dorms.

"This trip is going to be amazing," exclaimed Tai.

"It sure sounds like it. I can't wait," commented Yue.

Oddly enough, Mei was silent, not really wanting to make any comments. What filled her mind took priority. This trip would be the perfect opportunity for Mei to tell Xiang her feelings and she hoped with all her wishes that he would accept them.

The group eventually parted as they reached their respective dorms, all except for Mei and Xiang obviously. The two were awkwardly quiet as they looked through their room for anything they might need. Deciding to break the silence, Mei searched for anything that they could talk about.

"So what do you think about this trip?" she asked.

"It sounds like a lot of fun," he answered. "Especially if I get to spend it with you."

Mei instantly turned crimson at his response and quickly turned her head to hide her blooming face. Even if she could hide her blush, she could feel the hammering of her heart to the point of bursting. She needed to calm herself down.

Xiang was confused by her actions and went over to see her. Just as he was about to tap her shoulder, his phone went off and he quickly retrieved it, seeing the importance of the call. "Excuse me for a moment."

The boy stepped out of the room and made sure the close the door behind him. After he was sure he could speak in relative safety, he answered the phone. "Hello."

"Xiang, did you hear about the trip yet?" Arthur asked.

"Yes I did. They just announced it an hour ago."

"Excellent. Are you excited?"

Xiang was puzzled by Arthur's odd question but shrugged it off. "I guess so?"

"Okay, I'm glad. Anyway, onto the mission. As you know, you'll be attending a two day cruise. During the second day, the ship should be relatively close to a secret base on an uncharted water mark. The base is built upon a small island but that's only a disguise for what it really holds. Beneath the island is an underground facility that is mining for precious metals. You should already be equipped to handle the situation so there shouldn't be any problems but just to make sure, I'll be checking up on you right before you embark on the mission and right after when you should complete it."

"Understood."

"Good. Well then, we'll send more details in an envelope for you but until then, enjoy yourself Xiang."

Xiang closed his cell phone and stepped back into the room. He was glad to know that the room remained unchanged, save for Mei still packing her things although a slight tinge of pink still remained within her cheeks. Xiang went over to his own belongings and began to do the same. His thoughts fixated on the trip and the mysterious adventure that he was about to embark on.

* * *

><p>"Hurry up guys! We don't want to leave you behind you know," Tai cried out.<p>

"We're hurrying!"

Yue and Mei quickly ran up to the deck of the ship, both sighing when they finally reached the ship. "We were almost late," Mei commented.

"That's just because your brother is such a slow driver."

"That's true, but we got here so nothing to worry about now."

"You're right. And look at this amazing ship." The two looked around the deck, seeing it filled with an abundance of different activities.

Mei glided over and found a place next to Xiang and gently tugged at his arm. "Hey Xiang, look at the stage they have."

"It's a nice stage. What about it?"

"Well… there's a concert that students can participate in tomorrow night and I was wondering if…"

"I could accompany you?" he finished.

"Y-yeah… would you mind?"

"Not at all. I would love to play with you."

"Really? Thanks!" she exclaimed.

"Not a problem." Mei was surprised to see a small smile on Xiang's face as he answered. It was so rare that he ever showed any emotion, let alone a smile.

"Hey you two, we should head to our rooms," Tai shouted. Yue smacked the back of Tai's head as they began to walk to their dorms; scolding him for ruining their moment like that. Mei however didn't mind, she was sure she would get to spend more time on the subject later on.

Mei arrived to her room and took in the beautiful scene in front of her. She had a clear view of the crystal blue ocean from her window. The girl placed her suitcases at a corner of her room and decided to unpack some things later. Right now, she wanted to select the piece she would be playing with Xiang. As she shuffled through her music book, she giggled to herself as she continued her thoughts about the next night.

Xiang made it to his room without any problems and quickly began to inspect some of his suitcases. He found the jet black case and opened it to find an array of weaponry at his disposal. Xiang looked through each individual object but his only protest was the sword. It was clearly low class and he was sure that it would snap if under enough pressure. Luckily he brought his own for such an occasion. Now that he was sure of the weapons he would be using for the next night, he turned his focus to his violin. He picked up the wooden instrument delicately and started to play, making sure he would be ready for the performance.

* * *

><p>The night sky was disappointed. Above their heads rested thick gray clouds that threatened to pour and ruin the night. Regardless, this didn't put a damper on the events for the night as everyone was getting ready to perform. The event was casual so everyone dressed in something comfortable and for Xiang and Mei, this was their usual outfits. Despite the formalities, the event still held a great sense of elegance and romance.<p>

Xiang and Mei waited back stage as others began to perform. The staff knew of their skill, or at least Mei's and wanted them to be the ones to end the show with their performance. As they listened to others play, Mei fiddled with her fingers nervously. She was determined. This would be the day and night when she would finally tell Xiang her feelings and the atmosphere was nearly perfect for it.

Xiang looked over to her, somewhat concerned. He didn't know what was really on her mind but assumed she was nervous because of the concert. "Are you nervous?" he asked.

"Y-yeah…"

"Don't worry so much. I'm sure things will go well."

"I would hope so…" Mei trailed off.

Before Xiang could respond, the announcer called the two of them to the stage. The two ran to the center of the stage and Mei took her spot at the bench as Xiang took up his violin. The two waited for absolute silence before they were ready to start.

Mei took a deep breath and gently pressed her fingers across the keys. The melody was slow but it was striking nonetheless. After the first few measures, Xiang caught on to the rhythm and melody and began to play himself. The audience didn't even notice that Xiang had no previous knowledge of the song. Immediately Xiang became in sync with Mei's playing but something seemed different to Xiang.

He could hear the somewhat stifled sounds of something mysterious. He was sure he wasn't hearing it through his ears but it was striking something else within him. It was as if he could sense Mei's thoughts through the music. The feelings he received were all warm and joyous. He didn't want to just leave her unanswered.

Xiang waited and waited for the right opportunity. Just as Mei reached a break, Xiang began to form his own melody. It followed Mei's but it was different from her own. As soft as it was, it was powerful as it filled Mei's senses with a depth of warmth and happiness. Mei started to play again and followed the melody to the point.

The two eventually reached the climax to their piece and with a final message through their music, the song ended. The two opened their eyes to look at one another when the audience burst into applause and cheers. The two smiled to one another, both of their eyes filled with a new radiance.

Everyone began to clear the deck as it was getting late and the stage crew began to clean up the stage. Xiang had left his violin with the rest of the performers' instruments, knowing that they would be brought to their owners' room when the chance came. Just as Xiang was about to leave for his room, Mei stopped him as she held onto his hand.

"X-Xiang… could I speak to you? In private?"

"Huh? Sure." Mei guided Xiang across the wooden surface. The two walked silently together, Mei still holding onto Xiang's hand as they came to the back of the ship. Xiang could easily see the growing blush on Mei's face and grew slightly anxious as to what Mei wanted to talk about. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"A lot of things… but something about the performance first…"

"What about it?"

"Could you hear me Xiang?"

Xiang took a moment to understand her question when he realized it was the music. "I'm sure I did Mei. And I'm sure I responded too."

"Xiang... Music is like a projection of one's soul. When I play, I feel as if I'm in my own world where I can be at peace. But you can enter it when you play. As if you were meant to be part of it... Part of me. Even though everyone says your eyes seem soulless, I know they're not. When I look into them, I feel like I'm home. I don't feel like this with anyone else... Ever before. I... I love you."

Xiang reached out and pulled Mei into a tender hug, not being stunned in the least from her confession. "You have no idea what that means to me Mei. But I'm dangerous..."

"I know," she interrupted. "I saw you one night and I know. I know what you really do and I don't care at all. That doesn't change what you mean to me."

"Mei, in the past, I knew what 'love' was but it was just a word to me. Nothing more and nothing less. And now, I'm here and I can say that you've taught its meaning to me because I feel it… I... Love you too..." Mei looked up to see his eyes, knowing just from his loving gaze that he was telling the truth. She began to wrap her arms around his neck and slowly closed the distance between them. As they neared each other, their eyes closed and only a few inches separated them. So close to one another that they could hear the pounding of the other's heart as it raced, not yet connected. She could feel the distant warmth of his lips, desiring intensely to actually feel them. She leaned forward, knowing the small distance that separated them but she still didn't meet him. She opened her eyes and saw that he pulled back and was staring at her, his eyes filled with conflict. "But we can't be together Mei..."

Mei's eyes widened as small unnerving tears formed. "W-what?"

"We can't be together. Despite how I feel for you, it's those very same feelings that are doing this. If we became a couple, I would put you in danger; your very life could be shortened by being with me. I care more for your life than mine..."

"B-but... I-"

"I'm sorry Mei... I truly am. It's for the best..."

"No it's not! Did you ever think of my feelings!" Mei clutched her chest tightly as she pulled away from Xiang. "How can you be so selfish like this...? I don't need an apology... I need you..."

"I'm sorry Mei... This is all I can give..."

Mei swung her hand and the sound of it slapping Xiang echoed within their ears. Both her hand and his cheek stung. Xiang touched his cheek gingerly as he stared at Mei. Her head was hung low as tears fell. She raised her head and Xiang's heart broke as he saw the tears streaming from her face. Her eyes showed everything. He broke her heart. "You should listen to your heart Xiang..." Mei turned around and ran, she didn't know where but she needed to get away from the source of her pain but inside her shattered heart she knew she couldn't escape.

Xiang made a step to follow her but as soon as he did, he collapsed onto his knees as tears began to fall from his eyes. He felt all his strength drained from him as the tears continued to fall. Only as the sound of thunder, followed by rain did they seem to disappear. But nothing could hide his pain... Because his only cure was the very same person he just hurt too.

* * *

><p>Xiang laid against his bedroom wall for the longest time as he stared emptily to the ground in front of him. His mind was completely blank. Unlike before when he showed nothing, there was nothing he could do but show the pain that filled his heart. He had never hoped it would come to saying that to her. He wanted to accept her feelings whole heartedly but he knew of their circumstances.<p>

At that point, Xiang wanted nothing more than to crawl into some dark hole and just rot there for what he did. He then remembered he had a mission to do and just on cue, his phone began to ring and he picked it up.

"Hello…" he answered emptily.

"Xiang? I was just calling to make sure you were ready for the mission but… is something wrong?"

"It's… nothing you should concern yourself with."

"Are you sure Xiang? You don't sound well at all. I'm not sure you can complete the mission sounding like that."

"Since when have I ever talked during a mission?" he argued weakly. "Don't worry, I'll go and complete this mission." He didn't give Arthur a chance to respond as he quickly shut his phone.

Using the wall as his support, he was somehow able to stand once again but that was only a façade to what he really felt inside. Xiang knew he had to get his mind back into focus even if it meant turning off all his emotions but that was easier said than done.

Xiang went over to his suitcase and began to suit up for his mission. He was moving unusually slow as he dressed himself. He knew that the last moments greatly affected his entire being but despite that truth, he had no choice but to still continue and move forward.

He was finally prepared and left his room. It was late so no one would be around to spot him except maybe a guard or two but Xiang could easily avoid them. He navigated himself to the back of the ship when a great sense of nostalgia ran into him. It was this same spot that he last saw Mei.

The storm continued to rain down, soaking his hair completely but that was the least of his worries. Xiang shook his head and continued walking. He couldn't lounge on what has passed but the feeling was strong. The boy approached the very end of the ship where another person was standing and waiting for him. He had the lines ready for him to depart in the speed boat.

Xiang entered the vessel and signaled the man to let him down. The man did as instructed and began to lower him; being careful to let him down slowly as a precaution to the storms rampage. Soon enough, the boat entered the water and Xiang immediately started the craft.

The sounds of the engine were muffled by the sounds of the storm, making it perfect for Xiang to escape without any notice. It took Xiang a few minutes to get used to the controls and the weather but he was able to adapt swiftly. The coordinates of the island were locked into his GPS and the only thing Xiang had to do was escape notice and make sure he wasn't turned over by the large waves from the storm. It was extremely difficult to see anything within the storm so Xiang had to rely on the navigation system to guide him. Hopefully it wouldn't be tampered with too much thanks to the storm.

Without much more delays, Xiang began to approach the small island. He was sure now that he would be able to infiltrate without any notice thanks to the storm's few benefits. Xiang found a place to dock his boat and he jumped out of the vessel.

The sandy shores were completely muddled by the endless rain, making Xiang slightly sink into it. Xiang pushed past the shores and found his way into the jungle like terrain. At this point, he had to be fully on guard. There were just too many things he had to take note of, including any hidden security measures. Xiang continued to stalk through the forest, searching for any noticeable entrances or landmarks. Fortunately, he found what he was looking for.

It appeared clearly than any day. On the side of a mountain was a metallic door but what puzzled Xiang was why there weren't any guards around the area. Were they that certain that a storm and a large metal door would defend them?

Xiang went forward to the door and tried the handle but it didn't budge in the least. Without any warning, gun shots started to go off and Xiang took evasive action. He rolled out of the way and began to run back, his eyes peering over his shoulder to see who was firing at him. His eyes turned wide as he saw that they were mechanical. It was a defense system.

Xiang found a hiding place behind a tree and cursed to himself. How could he have been so foolish as to not expect some like that? If he was actually thinking straight, he could've heard the activation of the devices and act accordingly but now he was pinned down.

At that point however, he only saw one option. Xiang searched through his bag and found a small grenade. He didn't actually believe he would need it but now it was his only choice. Xiang removed the pin and tossed it behind him and at the door. Within seconds, an explosion erupted from the small grenade and the only sounds left were the sounds of rain drops.

Xiang leaped out form his hiding place and charged inside. He didn't have a second to waste now that he made such a ruckus. The base itself was filled with narrow hallways and there was evidence of using dynamite to tunnel into the mountain.

He started to hear the sounds of footsteps as they grew louder against the metal floors. Xiang quickly found a place to hide at the crossway of the halls. He waited until he was sure they were close enough. Just as they appeared in his vision, he removed his gun and shot at their heads. The two workers dropped dead and Xiang continued to move through the base.

The boy soon found a large spiral staircase. When he looked over the edge, all he could see was darkness. There was no way he could reach the bottom in time if he took the stairs but that wasn't the main concern. He had to find the location of the leader or else it would be an endless effort. Xiang then thought of an idea to attract him to where he needed him to be and began to travel down the staircase. Instead of actually taking every step however, he tore off a sheet of metal from one of the developing hallways and used it to ride the railing.

It was much speedier as he came closer to the bottom. Just moments before he reached the ground, he jumped off from his seat and landed to the ground cleanly. His eyes began to roam around the area and saw that two people noticed him. Before they could escape, Xiang shot both of them. His aim was slightly off however so all he did was disable them. Xiang ran over to them and shot directly at their heads.

Xiang began to explore the new area as his mind began to trail off. He was off. Usually he would've been able to kill someone from a distance like that with just one shot. He needed to focus or else he would be in danger.

As Xiang continued to walk further down the halls, he could see a distant bluish light. He pressed his back against the wall and crept up to the exit. What he saw both shocked him and amazed him. The next area was a glass dome. The ground was layered with metal like the others but the walls and ceiling were made with an extremely thick glass.

At one corner of the room, he could see a large group of people and devices. Some seemed to be scientists examining dampened rocks. The others were dressed in black jumpsuits and there with them was a large tank. And the rest seemed to be divers.

Xiang assumed there were trying to enlarge their area and at the same time mine for more metals. This was the perfect opportunity for Xiang to strike but he had to be careful. If he accidentally caused a crack in the dome, it would certainly flood the entire area.

He waited against the hallway walls. He needed one of the divers to come over to he could confiscate his suit and blend in with the others. But it seemed as if they weren't going to make any movements towards him. Just as he began to lose hope, he heard footsteps from behind him and turned to see someone walking in a diving suit.

Xiang didn't give him an opportunity to fight back as he dashed off and struck the person in his neck, knocking him to the ground and gasping for air. Xiang flew over to him and smashed his head into the ground. As blood started to leak from the back of his head, Xiang knew that he killed him.

He dragged the body off to another corner of the hallway and quickly removed his diving suit. Xiang then dressed himself in the suit and made sure everything was secure. Now that he had some form of disguise, he walked into the glass dome. The others didn't seem to take much notice of him.

Xiang was now face to face with some of the workers and this was his chance to get some information. "Hey, do you know where the boss is?" he asked nonchalantly but something seemed wrong with his voice. He could feel something restraining his speech and he then remembered why.

"What do you mean? You should know that Boss Jacob is already out there."

"You mean in the water?"

"Of course. We all know that he likes to take part in the actual excavation. Did you forget?"

"No, I was just wondering if he went somewhere."

"Okay, well, get to work. We need to fill your tank with oxygen." Xiang nodded and gave him the metal vessel. He waited as the workers pumped air into his tank and as soon as they finished, Xiang retrieved it from them.

"Thanks…" Xiang equipped the tank to his back and placed the mask onto his face. He then turned on the underwater flashlight that was added to the mask. Just as he was ready to dive, Xiang took something out of his bag and tossed it to the center of the room.

"What are you doing!" The workers cried.

Xiang said nothing as he dived into the water. He swam as quickly as he could until he could feel the explosion from behind him pushing him forward. The other divers that were already out, looked at the shattered dome with great worry. With the divers distracted, Xiang could freely look for the leader.

So far he could only spot what seemed to be a underwater volcano but soon enough he spotted Jacob. His appearance was a dead giveaway. Unlike all the others, Jacob's suit was a bright yellow. Xiang removed his sword and began to swim toward him. But the man caught on quickly and began to take evasive action.

He was clearly more skilled than Xiang underwater since he did these activities regularly. Xiang now found himself behind Jacob as he closed in on his back. Xiang turned around and their hands met in a deep struggle for dominance. Xiang was at a disadvantage now. He could see the other divers swimming toward him to assist their boss but Xiang wouldn't give them that chance. He lifted his legs and kicked the leader off from him and removed all the bombs from his bag.

He tossed the spheres down to the volcano that he saw before. Just as he began to swim away, Jacob found his way back and began to tug at Xiang's oxygen tank. Xiang couldn't fight back as he willingly released the tank. Xiang quickly maneuvered himself behind Jacob and used his sword to impale the top of his tank. The oxygen began to spew out and direct the man straight to the bottom of the sea.

Xiang didn't have much time left as he began to swim for the surface. His oxygen was limited and soon enough, a resounding explosion erupted from the bottom. A huge geyser of steam and bubbles began to flow up. Acting quickly, Xiang swam into the stream which began to propel him to the surface.

Just as Xiang's lungs began to scream for air, he emerged from the water and removed his mask. Xiang took in the clear air despite the raging storm that was still going on. Xiang took a deep breath and began to search for the island. He could see the distant isle and groaned to himself as he began to swim for the shore. After a tough ordeal, he was able to make it to the island but when he reached the shores, his body completely collapsed against the sand. His body was aching and sore all over from the long swim.

He then remembered that he had to return to the ship before it became too distant for his speed boat to reach. The Cantonese boy searched for his vessel and soon found it the same place he left it. After shoving it into the water, Xiang hopped on and began to sail out to the sea again. Xiang began to plot where the ship would be at this point, having calculated the time he spent during the mission and the speed at which the ship would be traveling. After he finished his math, he found where the ship should be and began to travel to it. His voyage was moderately short as he found that the ship was not too far off from where he planned it.

The moment his ship arrived to the side of the cruise, several ropes were lowered down to him and he tied them accordingly to the boat. The pulley system pulled his boat upward along with him until he could finally see the deck of the ship once more. He didn't even pay attention to the man that was in charge of the boat. He didn't want to think about the mission or anything that related to it. So when his phone began to ring, he tossed it off the ship without any hesitation.

Xiang returned to his room and quickly disposed of his diving suit and whatever else he had and changed into his pajamas. He collapsed onto his bed and stared emptily at the blue wall. He wanted so much to just rest and forget everything that happened. Everything.

But he couldn't. It was evident from his performance that what happened deeply affected him. Scarred him would be a better word for it because he knew even if he could forget about what happened, his pain and love for Mei would be eternally marked into his very soul.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I don't own Hetalia

**A/n: Whoa~ This update came faster than usual but this was one of the chapters I really wanted to write. So short recap of the chapter, please don't hate me for what happened between Xiang and Mei. Trust me, I was extremely teary when I wrote that scene but it had to be done... You guys should be able to clearly see how the rejection hurt Xiang. He really didn't want to be as you can see, it greatly effected his performance. This chapter is a bit shorter than the rest if you guys noticed but only because I wanted to focus on the confession/rejection part of it so yeah. Anyway, I promise that things will get better for the two of them so stay tuned for the next chapter and just as a little spoiler, there won't be any violence in the next one. Also kudos to anyone who could link the last paragraph to the very beginning of this entire story. **

**Well I think that's all for now. Review if you enjoyed the chapter or story and any questions or comments, just tell me them through the reviews. Until the next update, farewell my dear readers.**


	10. Chapter 10: Illusion Broken

_Often in times of struggle and worry, fantasies and illusions are created but there's no turning back as all delusions are shattered and truth is confirmed. _

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 10:**_

_**Illusion Broken**_

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The morning arrived in a peaceful silence, accompanied by the slow splashes of waves against the side of the ship. The sun's rising caused its golden rays to reflect off the waters, making it seem as if they were sailing through the light itself. The entire crew and voyageurs were all quiet in their slept, save for a snore here and there. The only two people that appeared to be awake were a couple as they stood at the front of the ship, admiring the sunrise and each other.

The two held each other tenderly as they stared out until the silence was broken with a question. "This is nice isn't it?" asked Tai.

"Yeah it is… I'm glad I can spend this time with you," answered Yue.

"Same here… but something's been bothering me."

"What would that be?" she inquired.

"I'm not sure but… the atmosphere seems to have shifted slightly."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's just, I know something's different but I can't put my finger on it."

"Hmm… Maybe it has something to do with Xiang and Mei?"

"Maybe…"

"It has to be," she exclaimed. "I remember Mei looking very anxious and nervous. Maybe she finally confessed to him."

"That's a probability."

"Why don't we check it out then?"

"Alright. You take Mei, I'll go to Xiang."

"Sounds good." The two parted with a quick kiss and left for their respective friends.

Tai traveled swiftly to his friend's dorm room but the moment he arrived to the front of the door, he shuttered. The air was thick with sorrow and Tai was afraid of what lied beyond the door. Tai shook his head and remembered that he had a friend behind there and cautiously knocked against the door. Tai waited but there was no response. Stubbornly, Tai continued to knock against the door.

"Xiang! I know you're in there," he yelled. "It's Tai."

After waiting for a moment, Tai decided that Xiang wouldn't be emerging but just as he began to walk away, the door opened. Tai quickly turned around after hearing the creek and went over. "Xiang?"

"What?" Xiang answered, weakly.

"I came to check up on you. Yue said that you and Mei probably talked last night about something."

"We did…" Just at the mention of the scene, Xiang grew even more solemn.

"Then…?"

Xiang didn't even attempt to answer as he returned to his bed, quickly collapsing onto it. He didn't want to answer the question. He couldn't explain the circumstances to someone who didn't know his secret but the more he thought about it, the more his guilt ate away at him.

Tai entered the room and knew something was wrong just by the appearance of his room. Most of his clothes were discarded across the room and Xiang himself was a mess. His hair was messier than he ever saw it, he seemed more fragile, and his eyes screamed in agony.

Carefully, Tai sat at the edge of his bed and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Xiang… what happened? I'm your friend."

"It's complicated…"

"It's fine if you don't explain the circumstances but please tell me what happened with Mei at least. Did she confess to you?"

"She did…"

"And? What's the problem?"

"I… turned her down."

Tai was startled by the answer even though he expected something like that to have happened. "Then why are you so down?"

"Because I didn't want to… I really do care about her… but I can't be with her."

"There are so many gaps to that answer Xiang. But I get the jest of it. Don't worry, we'll figure this out. Just… rest I guess. I'll leave you alone for now but make sure to get yourself together; we'll be getting to land soon."

Tai took one last look at his miserable friend and sighed as he left the room. "This is going to be harder than I thought…"

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><p>Yue arrived to Mei's room after a brisk walk across the ship. She knew something was wrong, she could just feel it. Without wasting any more time, she knocked against the door. "Mei! It's Yue! Let me in," she demanded.<p>

She could hear the slight shifting sounds of feet dragging across the floor until the door opened. Yue's eyes grew wide and worried when she saw the state of her friend. Mei's hair was tangled up in a complete mess; her entire being seemed brittle; and she had red puffy eyes. It was evident that Mei was crying from her tear stained cheeks and her eyes.

Without any warning, Yue pulled her into a tight hug. "Mei, what happened!"

Mei seemed unwilling to answer as she turned her head away from her friend. Yue wouldn't take that however as she guided the girl to her bed and the two sat down. "Mei, tell me what happened. I know something with you and Xiang went down last night."

Just at the mention of his name, Mei began to tear up once again as she buried her face in Yue's shoulder. Yue held her tenderly and gently stroked the back of her head, allowing her to cry. That confirmed it for Yue that something did happen but she wouldn't push for any more. She knew Mei was incredibly unstable and right now she needed to be comforted; no matter how long it took.

After the longest time, Mei's soft weeping ended as she pulled back slightly and sniffed to herself. "You okay? Or at least better?" Yue asked. Mei nodded only slightly. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Mei turned her head in hesitation as she thought about what happened. "I-I told him…"

"So he doesn't like you back?"

"N-no… he does…"

"Then what's the problem?"

"H-he… said we couldn't be together…"

Yue stared at her for a second. "He said what? That doesn't make any sense!"

"It's complicated…"

"What's complicated? He likes you, you like him; why did he reject you?"

"I can't tell you that Yue… There are things I just can't say."

Yue sighed to herself. "I understand. I just don't like seeing you like this." Mei remained silent as her head sunk down. "I'll leave you alone to think for now. Just be ready when we reach the shore, okay?" Mei gave a silent nod and Yue left the room.

Yue's footsteps echoed across the empty hallway which was the only sign she had from being lost in her thoughts. She was incredibly confused by Mei's responses and hoped Tai had received more information from Xiang but she doubted it. The two found each other once again and found a convenient spot to exchange information.

"So what did you learn?" Yue asked.

"Not much. All I learned is that Mei confessed to him last night but he turned her down for unknown circumstances even though he does care about her."

"That's pretty much all I learned too. It's that unknown variable that's causing the trouble but neither of them will tell us. We'll have to find a way around it."

"How do you propose we do that?"

"Maybe if we… I don't know."

Tai chuckled to himself. At times Yue knew exactly what to do but it was humorous to him that a single variable stumped her. "How about we get them together and let them solve it themselves?"

"That might work… the only problem is they probably won't even want to see each other."

"Nonsense. They like each other so they must want to but that painful memory is keeping them apart so we'll be the ones getting them together."

"You make things sound way too easy," she laughed.

"Who else is going to lighten the mood?" he asked, rhetorically.

Before long, the ship finally arrived to the docks of the island. The tropical paradise was filled with lush green trees and clear blue skies. A few mountains prevented them from seeing across the entire island but the view was spectacular nonetheless. Besides the nature, the small city was the only thing that seemed connected to civilization.

The students started to depart from the ship, some carrying their personal baggage while the rest was taken to a larger transportation method. Everyone was extremely excited to finally arrive and couldn't wait to enjoy themselves; well not everyone.

The obvious two that were heavy with sadness was Xiang and Mei. The two weren't even remotely close to each other but just the sheer weight of their sorrow was enough to affect everyone around them. Mei's head was hung low as she stared to the ground, not intending to lift her head. Xiang wasn't in a better condition as he dragged his feet across the ground and anyone who even disturbed him was given a death glare. Obviously, mostly his 'fan club' received the treatment but for some odd reason it didn't seem to drive them away.

The class continued to walk until they came to a bus stop. Already in wait were two large buses and some men came over and began to throw their luggage in the departments while students began to board the vehicle. Yue was one of the first ones to get a seat and she didn't want to leave Mei alone with just anyone so she dragged her along with her. Yue could instantly tell that Mei was extremely fatigued. Her eyes were baggy and there was still evidence of all her crying.

Tai copied Yue and took Xiang with him. He was the only one who Xiang didn't glare at. The Cantonese boy didn't pay any mind to it as his mind remained focused on the thoughts of last night.

The bus roared to life and the students began to cheer once again since they officially began their trip now; even if it was just going to their hotel. They started to move and everyone quieted down and enjoyed the ride.

Mei fell to sleep as soon as she sat down and her head was lying against Yue's shoulder. Throughout the entire ride, Yue could clearly hear Mei whispering Xiang's name as small tears rolled down her face. Yue could sense how heartbroken she was over him. The memory must even haunt her in her dreams.

Yue gently stroked Mei's hair in a comforting manner. "How could he do this to you…?"

Xiang could hear every word that was spoken from Yue and Mei. And each word struck him in his heart. The guilt slowly ate away at him. He had never wanted to hurt her like this and he wanted to do something to cheer her up but he couldn't be close to her. Not after what was said and what he is.

Finally, the class reached their destination and everyone rushed off and began to crowd around the teacher. She cleared her throat and held up a clipboard. "Okay everyone; there were a few problems in getting rooms so everyone will be rooming with someone. And since you usually do this at the academy, you'll be assigned to your dorm mates."

Yue and Tai's eyes grew wide at the sudden announcement. Yue acted quickly and went over to the teacher. "Umm, could I switch with Xiang Gang Kirkland? Mei isn't feeling well and I think it'd be best if she roomed with another girl."

"Hmm that sounds fine then. Mr. Kirkland will be assigned to a room by himself then."

"Okay, thank you." Yue returned to Tai's side and let out a sigh of relief. "That was a close one."

"I know right? Who knows what would have happened if they were in the same room together."

"Well, this is only the first location of the trip you know? I'm pretty sure there will be more stops and more tasks for us to stop."

"But we can't keep doing this. Maybe we should try and get them to talk to each other?"

"Have you seen Mei? She isn't in any condition to talk; much less to Xiang."

"But she isn't going to get any better by lounging around and being sad. I know it sounds mean but that's the truth. She and Xiang need to deal with this problem."

"Okay you're right; which is strange… but how do we go about doing this?"

"Well first, let's get settled down and when the trip commences with the activities, we can actually do something."

"Okay, let's just go up to our rooms and rest for now."

The two nodded to each other and Yue went over to tell Mei the news. Mei seemed unaffected by the news and Yue sighed. She began to guide Mei to their room but as soon as they reached the room, Mei went straight to her bed and collapsed onto it.

"Mei… come on. You can't just lie there all day. We're leaving in an hour to the amusement park."

"I don't want to go to the amusement park. Nothing will be amusing about it…"

"How do you know that if you don't even go?"

"Because I'm not in the mood for it… I just want to lay here and do nothing."

"You're going Mei, even if I take you dragging and screaming. You need something to cheer you up. Maybe you'll have fun."

Mei sighed in defeat. "Fine… but I won't like it."

Tai didn't have many problems convincing Xiang to go to the park. Xiang actually didn't care about anything and agreed to whatever he was told to do albeit he was like an empty shell. After the hour passed, everyone entered the bus and they quickly arrived.

The park was immensely large as it contained almost every classic park ride including roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, and those small class rides meant for two. The group of four gathered together except Mei and Xiang didn't dare look at each other. With every step Yue and Tai took, they felt as if something was weighing them down.

"This isn't working," Yue whispered.

"Give it some time. We haven't even done anything yet."

Yue turned her head slightly to see Mei at her side but she still carried the same depressed expression on her face but now part of it held annoyance. Mei really didn't want to come to the park with them, much less Xiang. Her feelings for him still existed and they didn't break but the thought of not being able to be with him was enough pain for her.

Thinking quickly, Tai decided to look for the closest ride in order to lessen the tension, even if it was by a little. The closest ride he saw was the Ferris wheel. "Hey guys, let's go to that one."

"Whatever…" Xiang answered.

"I don't care…" Mei replied.

Yue walked with Tai until she was able to get some distance from the two. She leaned into his ear and whispered. "This better work Tai. Those two are more meant for each than they realize."

Tai chuckled. "Yeah, let's hope this day works out. If we just get them to get closer to each other again, I'm sure they'll work it out somehow."

The four got into the line and surprisingly, it was small. They were able to get a spot right away and each spot held four people. Mei's eyes opened wide since she finally realized the two's plan just as she was about to enter the ride. Before she could walk out though, Yue pulled her inside and she landed in the seat next to Xiang.

Mei quickly turned her face away from him as she glared angrily at Yue through the corner of her eye. Yue only responded with an 'I'm sorry but it's for your own good' look.

Mei looked out the window and saw how high they were going and fear struck her. She didn't handle heights that well and she instantly flung herself closer to the middle but that was right next to Xiang. He turned his head and looked at her and saw how scare she looked and couldn't bear to just push her away.

"I-I'm n-not scared. I-it just looks kind of high… C-can I sit next to you? J-just till we start to descend."

"Its fine…" he answered.

As they reached to the peak of the ride, Mei unintentionally began to cling to Xiang's arm, startling him at the same time. Her eyes were shut as she tightened her grip on his arm. Yue and Tai looked at the two grinning. It seems they weren't completely repelled to each other after all.

The Ferris wheel finally arrived to the bottom and Mei rushed out of the department and she got onto the ground. "I never want to go on another high ride again…"

Yue went over to her and bent down next to her. "What if Xiang's there with you?" she teased.

Mei flushed as she turned her head. "W-why would I want to be with him?"

Yue giggled in victory. She was starting to warm up to Xiang again, and she believed Xiang was too since he didn't seem to refuse her advance during the ride. Yue helped Mei up to the ground and began to plot for another activity that they could all do. The lines for the rollercoasters were filled but Yue had a better idea. "Hey guys, let's go to the game booths."

Everyone agreed except Xiang who still answered with a 'whatever.' They strolled over to the booths and began to look around for anything that held good prizes. When they walked past one that involved throwing a bean bag and knocking down some milk bottles, Mei's eyes instantly brightened after she saw one of the prizes. She grabbed Yue's hand and began to jump like a little kid.

"Yue, look at the size of that panda there. Isn't it cute?"

Yue laughed. "You and your panda fetish."

"I blame my brother. I swear our house was full of them when I was little and I just got so used to them."

"Right… well let's try the game."

The two girls went over to the stand and paid for their respective turns while Tai and Xiang stood in the background. Yue quickly began her attempts at knocking down the bottles but sadly she failed at knocking down all of them. Mei took her turn and took the bag and took aim. Carefully, she made sure she would be able to nail her shot and as soon as she was sure, she threw it. The bag slammed into the bottles with a startling crash as nearly all of them fell off the platform but a sole bottle spun around on the platform; refusing to fall off.

Mei let out a grunt as she threw down some more money, signaling that she wanted to try again. The vendor's manager chuckled to himself and gave out a couple of more bags for Mei. Through the corner of his eye, Xiang could see what was happening and he heavily suspected that the game was a trick. Even if his suspicions were true, he couldn't confirm them and his suspicions alone wouldn't stop Mei from continuing her assault for the panda plush.

Mei vigorously continued to throw each bag against the bottles but every time she came up short. Each failure only frustrated her more and her stubbornness prevented her from quitting. Mei began to search through her purse desperately for some bills when she took out her last bit of money. She stared at the paper and looked over to the panda. This was her last try because the rest of her money in her room and it'd be wrong of her to use her emergency money.

Slowly she slid the paper onto the table and took the last bag. Mei raised her arms and her eyes burned with determination. Without any more hesitation, she threw it and it crashed into the bottles. Two fell off without any effort but the last bottle began to spin around the platform once again until it reached the edge. Mei held her breath in anticipation until the bottle came to an abrupt halt.

She stared deadpanned at the bottle. Mei turned her back from the stand and stomped off to the others and the three could easily see she was frustrated with the game and also upset. Yue went over and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Mei. You tired your best."

"…But I didn't win…"

Xiang suddenly stepped forward and stood in front of the stand and placed a bill onto the wooden table. The manager only looked up as he counted the profit from Mei and smirked as he found another victim for his ploy. "Gonna try for your friend huh?"

Xiang said nothing as he snatched up the bean bag. He prepared to aim when Mei ran over and tugged on his arm. "Xiang stop it. You don't need to do this."

Xiang ignored her and tightened his grip on the bag. In a flash of movement, Xiang slammed the bag into the platform, knocking down all the bottles. But Xiang didn't stop there, his eyes quickly scouted all the hangers and he placed down more money and snatched up more bags. For the next few minutes, Xiang continually knocked down bottles after bottles at an unbelievable speed until only one panda was left on a hanger.

Xiang took aim and this time, the veins on his arm were slightly visible as he made the bag crash into the bottles but the unexpected thing was he not only knocked off all the bottles; he blew into the platform. The manager stared at the scene with his mouth wide open from the shock of the action. Xiang moved passed him and took a panda from one of the hangers and began to walk away with a large sack of panda toys until he turned his head back.

"Next time you try and trick someone, make sure it's not my friend."

Xiang went over to the trio where Yue and Tai stared in amazement at what Xiang just did. But Mei, even though she was impressed with the act, didn't expect any less. After all, she did know who Xiang really was. Xiang threw the panda into the air and Mei caught the plush as it flew to her. The girl turned her attention to just the panda but it was her attempt to hide her growing blush.

"…Thanks…" she commented.

"It's nothing." Xiang turned his head away from her. He knew that if he did see her face, he would smile and that went against what he was trying to do.

Xiang took a look at his giant pile of prizes and didn't want to be lugging it around with him all day and he really didn't even need one panda. The boy took out a small piece of paper and scribbled something onto the parchment. Then he stuck the paper to the huge pile of pandas and entitled it with 'free pandas'. Mei giggled at the act but didn't actually make a comment to him.

Tai and Yue began to snicker to themselves. The two were finally warming up to each other so now all they had to do was keep pushing them. Or rather, just make sure they kept interacting with each other. They didn't really have to do anything for the stand and panda so they would let things take their natural course. They didn't even notice when the two began to walk off on their own; though they still didn't really talk.

The couple kept a close eye on the two as they walked behind them. They didn't really have a destination but it was better to explore rather than stay in one spot. The group entered an area that was filled with different kind of food stands; ranging from the classical theme park foods to strange treats that had almost everything deep fried or covered in chocolate.

Even though Mei tried to hide it, Xiang could hear the muffled growls of her stomach begging to be fed something. He began to search for anything around that looked even remotely edible and saw something pink at the corner of the stands. He walked briskly over to the stand and found that it was a cotton candy vendor. Xiang paid for one cone wrapped in the fluffy and sugary treat and went back to the group.

When he returned, he found Mei leaning against a stand by herself and Tai and Yue were off who knows where. The girl looked up to see Xiang with the candy and she wondered why he wasn't eating it. Xiang handed her the candy which she took wordlessly but gratefully as well.

Mei began to bite into the soft and fluffy treat; savoring the sweetness of the candy. She looked over to Xiang and back to the candy. She went over to him and offered some to him, insisting that he share with her instead of just taking it all for herself. Not wanting to argue with the strong willed girl, he began to eat some. Mei smiled and continued to eat, along with him until they finished the sugary snack.

The sweet luxury had somewhat satisfied her stomach for the time being and now they could focus on actually enjoying the park. To her disappointment however, the intercom announced that the theme park would be closing early. Mei still wanted to do more things and silently, she wanted to do them with Xiang. The two reluctantly began to go back to the front gate, saddened by the fact that their day at the theme park was cut short.

As they walked, Mei noticed a photo booth that was clear of any other park-goers. Without any warning, Mei grabbed Xiang's arm and tugged it, directing his attention to the booth. "Come on, it'll be fun and we'll have something to remember this day," she exclaimed.

Xiang complied and the two went into the booth. Xiang was actually surprised at how warm she was being. It was almost as if the night before didn't happen but the memory still lingered within his mind no matter how much fun he was having. The two sat down and waited for the camera to start taking pictures. The first was somewhat formal as they sat plainly with smiles on their faces and after that, it switched into silly photos. Mei made funny faces while at the same time, fixing Xiang's face with her fingers to make strange faces. At the final shot, Mei did something completely unexpected and she gave Xiang a soft kiss to his cheek.

After the picture was taken, Mei quickly exited the booth as a blush crept over her face. She mentally scolded herself for what she just did. Mei was reminded of what happened the night before and she knew and she repeated it over and over but she couldn't get over her feelings for him. She had never felt this strongly about anyone before and her thoughts of him always filled her with a strange but pleasant feeling in her stomach. Regardless, she had to try and push the feelings away.

Just as Mei began to calm down, the pictures were dispensed and she saw the very last picture that made her face flush with red. Xiang remained in the booth with a dream like expression plastered on his face. He lifted one of his hands to touch his cheek, and he could still remember the softness of her lips against his cheek. He couldn't help but blush slightly when he thought of it. He knew it was wrong for him to feel that way. Very wrong. But the more he tried to reject his feelings for her; they always came back in full force and even grew in strength with each attempt.

The intercom rang again, breaking Xiang of his trance and he quickly got out of the booth to find Mei stand outside, waiting for him. Mei tried her best to hide her embarrassment and tried not to think about the awkward moment that would appear around them again. They had to quicken their pace since they wasted a bit of time with the pictures but neither actually thought of it as wasted time since it was spent together. Although, the two would never admit their joy since they both knew about the situation.

They finally reached the gate where their classmates were waiting for them and to their amusement; a few of them had pandas with them. They were the last two of the class and the girls glared daggers at Mei for spending time with Xiang. The teacher apologized to everyone for the early dismissal and they all entered the bus to go back to the hotel. The moment everyone sat down, the teacher stood up and clapped her hands together to make an announcement.

"Okay everyone, since our day at the theme park was cut short; we'll be going to the beach."

The teacher didn't have to say anything else as the class exploded with cheer at the new activity. The weather was absolutely perfect for a day at the beach and since noon had already passed, the heat wouldn't be much of a bother.

The class arrived to the hotel and everyone departed to get their beach ware. Everyone was excited to be going to the beach, so much so that their impatience caused the huge group to get backed up in the hotel entrance. Xiang, Mei, Yue and Tai just stood in the back, waiting for all the shoving and screaming to end so they could enter safely.

Xiang sighed at their foolishness and noticed that there was a side door that could let a person through one at a time. He pointed this out to the others and the group quickly went over and entered the hotel. The others didn't even take note of this and continued their desperate attempt to get into the building. Mean while, the friends went to their respective rooms and retrieved their things and got ready for the beach.

Xiang seemed to be the first one to exit since he really didn't require much besides his trunks, a towel and sandals. He quietly exited the hotel, now seeing that the large mob of students finally dispersed to go to their rooms. Xiang waited outside for the others to come out when a familiar shade of blonde locks caught his attention through the corner of his eye.

To him, there was no mistaking it. Xiang made sure that no one was looking and he went over to the side of the building until he came face to face with the person he suspected and the person he least suspected to see. "…Arthur…"

The Brit stood firm but he couldn't hide his relief to see Xiang alive and well. "Xiang! It's good to see you but I don't even know where to start. I was extremely worried that you had perished during the mission since you didn't respond when I called to check up on you after the allotted time. And furthermore, I suspected something happened from the way you sounded on the phone just before the mission."

"…Well as you can see, I'm fine…" Xiang stared at him with his usual blank gaze but this time, something was different. Even Arthur could tell. Xiang wasn't anywhere near fine.

"Xiang, I know something's wrong. I can hear it in your voice and I can see it in your eyes. What in the world happened to you?"

"… It's nothing you should concern yourself with…"

"Xiang, of course I should. If this concerns your health, I most certainly will take action."

"Sorry Arthur, but as long as I can complete missions for the Organization, there's no need for you to take any action or worry for that matter."

"Xiang, listen to me right now. Forget about the Organization. Forget about all the things you should do and focus on what I'm about to say. I care more about your well being than what the Organization wants. I know I haven't done anything to deserve your trust and you probably don't see me as anything but a superior but please try and look pass that. I've known you long enough to know when you're fine about doing a mission and you certainly seem capable but the thing is something is different about you lately. You're not like you were before… I think this started when you entered the academy."

Xiang's body stiffened slightly and that was all Arthur needed to see to know he was right. He needed to keep pressing him, and make sure he could help Xiang through this ordeal. "What is it exactly Xiang? I promise I don't mean any harm to you and you don't have to tell me anything if you want but I'm right here if you need my advice or help or anything."

Xiang looked reluctant to do anything. This was a side of Arthur he had never really seen. Now all those small gestures he did in the past to try and make him even the slightest bit happy made sense. All those things he went through to protect him like enrolling him in the academy. "… It's someone…"

Arthur looked at Xiang for a long moment. Trying to take in everything he said and even if it wasn't much, the tone of his voice showed clear signs of nervousness. But it wasn't the kind that was produced from fear. It was something completely different. And Arthur knew Xiang better than anyone and now he had the strongest suspicions that he believed were true. All he needed to do was ask.

"Did you… meet someone… special to you?"

Xiang's eyes instantly widened. He didn't know how but Arthur hit the mark perfectly. But he refused to give away Mei's identity or anything about her that would give any hints. "… y-yes."

Arthur surprised Xiang when his gaze softened and a smile appeared on his face. He moved his hand up and placed it on his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Xiang… I'm happy for you. I truly am… but this appearance you're showing me, showing everyone. It doesn't suit you. I know you must be afraid for her because of who you really are but… you can't do that to yourself. You only have one chance in life to find true happiness and love."

Xiang still seemed reluctant as Arthur said these things to him. But each word hit his heart, making him realize what he had done and even then, it still seemed that a thin barrier was keeping him from his true feelings. Arthur pulled his arm back and he stepped back so Xiang could clearly see him and take in what he was about to say. "Xiang, like people, there are billions of stars out there except there's only one that's going to be your sun."

Xiang could feel something within him shatter, releasing something that he had been restraining and denying. All of Arthur's words had made him realize what a grand mistake he had made but now, he wasn't going to keep denying what his heart has been telling him and longing for.

The Cantonese boy turned around and began to walk slowly until he stopped and turned his head slightly. "Thank you Arthur… I needed to hear that." Arthur nodded towards him and Xiang walked off.

When he returned, he saw everyone was entering the buses and he could see his friends waiting for him.

At the corner of the building, Arthur saw the girl that had Xiang's heart as she waved to him. And from the light in her eyes, he could tell that she felt the same way for him as well. Arthur closed his eyes and began to walk away from the scene, thinking that Xiang had a real chance at happiness.

* * *

><p>The buses arrived in a hurry to the sandy shores of the beach. Everyone was slightly restless in anticipation to the continuation of their trip and the drivers could sense it which made them increase their pace. The moment they arrived, everyone rushed off the bus and ran out to the sand as the waves from the ocean collided into the sand.<p>

Students found their own spots to set up an umbrella or beach blankets. At the same time, they were removing their top layered clothes to reveal their swimsuits. Xiang, Mei, Yue and Tai found a spot somewhere at the center of the beach where they began to set up their own spot.

Tai couldn't help but admire his girlfriend's figure when she got into her swimsuit and he knew she would later tease him or scold him for it. Xiang was lying on the towel under the shade as everyone continued their fun and he had absolutely no intention of interacting with them. The ground next to him shifted slightly and Xiang cracked open one eye to peak over and saw Mei sitting down next to him.

She stared out absent mindedly to the ocean as she tried to gather her thoughts in the peaceful setting. It was true that Xiang and her were becoming a bit more warm toward each other but that didn't erase what happened last night. And it didn't change what he said to her. So she continually repeated those words in her mind. Every time she did, she could feel a pulse of pain from her heart but she knew it was necessary. It seemed as though, they could never be anything more than just friends and she had to confirm this with herself. She knew this was a useless effort.

Yue and Tai looked over at the two and sighed. Things were going so well but now their relationship wasn't progressing at all and sitting around doing nothing wasn't going to help. Yue went over to Mei and pulled her up.

"Come on Mei. This is a beach so let's go have some fun." The Taiwanese girl didn't want to do anything of the sort and Yue knew the stubborn girl wouldn't give up without a fight. Either way, Yue was physically stronger than Mei and she began to drag the girl toward the water despite the protests.

"Let me go Yue! I don't want to go in the water!" Mei finally got her arm back but she didn't realize they were already ankle deep in the cold water.

Yue bent down slightly and playfully splashed some water onto the girl. Mei cried out from the cold but she got over it quickly. She glared at Yue and she wanted payback.

Tai watched in amusement as the two girls chased after each other, trying to splash each other when he remembered his part in the plan. He turned his attention to Xiang who appeared to doze off. Tai went over to him and shook him which made his eyes snap open.

"What?" Xiang demanded.

"Let's go play with the girls," he suggested.

"No," Xiang rejected. The Cantonese boy tried to return to his rest but Tai was persistent.

Tai tried to think of anything that could help him in getting Xiang to play with them but he had nothing. Just then, he noticed a large group of girls approaching them and he got an idea. "Well you could just rest there but then you would be completely surrounded by your fan club."

Xiang instantly rose from his spot and looked over to see the girls marching towards them. He sighed to himself and thought about the situation. Hanging out with his friends was a much better option than be harassed by a bunch of girls wearing scanty bathing suits in an attempt to gain his attention and favor. He stood up and Tai grinned in victory.

The two quickly entered the water and met up with the two girls who were finally enjoying their time in the water. But as Xiang entered the water, Mei's head quickly snapped toward his direction in astonishment.

"Why are you here?" she blurted out. It's not that she wanted to be rude or anything but for two things; Xiang didn't seem like the type to play in the sun and sand and she was trying to forget about him and that was hard to do when he was always around.

Xiang frowned slightly from her comment but he didn't want to say that he was just there to avoid the mob of girls searching for him. "Why shouldn't I be here? Someone has to stay around and keep watch on you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"If I recall correctly, the last time we were all playing in water, you nearly drowned."

Mei's face turned slightly red in embarrassment and anger. She was frustrated that he could turn such a dramatic event into something so light. "I don't need you to rescue me. I'm a perfectly fine swimmer. Probably better than you," she challenged.

Xiang's eye twitched slightly. "_Did she actually just challenge me?_" he thought. "You weren't nearly as fast as me," he argued.

"Just because you clearly have more power, doesn't mean much. You probably can't take long distances."

"Then let's see about that. We'll race."

"I thought you'd never ask." Yue and Tai stared at the two, slightly frightened. The two knew about Mei's competitive nature and she was almost impossible to beat if she was determined enough. At the same time, they knew about Xiang's remarkable speed and power so it was going to be an interesting match. Mei glanced over the clear waters and saw a perfect spot for them to race to. "First one to that rock formation on the other side of the beach wins."

Xiang nodded in agreement. The two readied themselves to speed off when someone called for a start. The sun set was near since the ball of light was close to the horizon. They waited and waited as small waves crashed into their bodies. Yue went over to the side of them and began to count down from three. The moment she said 'go' the two dived into the water.

Xiang clearly had the head start and was distancing himself from Mei with an explosion of strength with each stroke he made. Xiang absolutely refused to lose to her and he wasn't going to hold anything back. Mei smirked mentally. Xiang had made a huge error in his strategy by going off at full power. Even if Mei wasn't as strong as Xiang, she was able to keep up surprisingly well. And she was thinking clear enough to know that she should save most of her strength for the long swim distance.

After a few minutes, Xiang started to lose speed as he felt fatigue creeping up on him. Before he knew it, Mei was right beside him as he continued to swim. Xiang continued to swim even though his body begged for some rest but through sheer will, he continued.

The two were at the final stretch as the rock formation came within their reaches. At this point, Mei didn't have to hold anything back and she sped up. Xiang cursed mentally and tried to keep up with the girl but in the end, he lost.

Mei cheered as she claimed her victory and Xiang looked stunned to have lost against her. Mei felt weary and sore but she couldn't care less. Xiang admitted his defeat and congratulated her on defeating him. After a few more moments of just resting, the two began to swim for the shore that was close to them.

Once they arrived onto the sand, they weakly walked over and collapsed onto their backs as they panted from exhaustion. Even though they were tired, a smile was on both of their faces. It was fun. The two laid on their backs for a couple more minutes before they both got up into a sitting position. Xiang's head turned around and saw that they were the only two on that side of the beach. After a long moment, the two seemed to return to their previous state before their friends got them to play in the water; remembering what was said and done.

Xiang and Mei sat alone as the waves crashes onto the shores. The tension between them seemed to be lightened from the day but the previous night still had its impression on them. Xiang wanted to move closer to her but his mind said otherwise. He had to ignore it however and he had something to say.

"Mei... I-"

"I thought you didn't want to be close to me anymore..." interrupted Mei.

"That's what I thought but that's not what I want."

"Then what's keeping you?"

"Myself..."

"You still don't care, do you?"

"No! That's not it at all," he blurted. "I do care Mei. I really do. And I realized something I should have done."

Mei turned her back to him. "That doesn't mean anything if you don't do anything."

"Mei..." Xiang reached and touched her shoulder but she instantly turned around and slapped his hand.

"Don't touch me Xiang"

Instead of obeying her he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to himself. "I can't do that." He quickly wrapped his free arm around her, preventing her from escaping.

"Xiang! What are you doing? Let me go!"

"Listen. I know what I did really hurt you and I'm sorry. I made a huge mistake. But I realized that I can't deny loving you. That I can't stand to be away from you. That I can't ever forget about you."

Mei's eyes softened as she began to register what he just said to her. She gently draped her arm over his should as he loosened his grip and instead held her hand. "Does that mean?"

"You tell me."

The slow steady rush of the waves seemed to be the only sound that kept Xiang from being lost in her embrace. He held her closely with one arm and the other was intertwined with her own. Her chocolate brown eyes reflected his gaze. Her usual creamy colored skin was lightly dusted with pink. Slowly as they closed the distance between them, she quietly closed her eyes and her soft lips met his.

Her lips tasted like a childhood memory, sweet like freshly caught honey, soft as a lush green hill, and colored like plum blossoms. For that brief moment, when they were connected, it seemed to drive them into their own world, excluding any distractions. When they finally parted, their hold over each other didn't lessen, as they held each other closer and tighter. The sweet scent of flowers began to flow into his senses, reminding him of the flowers that she cared for so much. She rested her head against his chest quietly as all her doubt and regret was erased. They remained silent in each other's arms until she finally spoke in that beloved voice of hers, confirming that it wasn't just a simple far-off dream or memory. That it was the fantasy and illusion that became reality.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia<strong>

**A/n: Well here's the very angsty, suspenseful and romantic chapter I promised :) I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. I've been planning for that kissing scene since the very beginning of Under the Light ^^; Well anyway after all that drama, thing's finally calm down right? Well think again. Thing's officially start now. If you thought it was crazy before, then you haven't seen anything yet. Expect even more action, violence and romance from now on since their relationship and test officially starts. Thank you to my dear readers and reviewers that have stayed with me for this long and I promise it'll be just as awesome and maybe more so. **

**Reviews again are always appreciated and read :) Bye for now and stay alert for the next chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11: Guarded Life

_A simple promise isn't an effortless whim but a commitment that must be carried throughout time and enforced by loyalty and trust._

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 11:**_

_**Guarded Life**_

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The crashing of the waves to the beach quieted significantly. The sun's rays were dimming and the only light it presented was that of a golden sunset. Xiang was lying on his back contently as he held Mei in his arms. Her back was lying on his chest but her head was nudged just an inch off from his, so close that a whisper was all that was needed to be heard.

Mei's eyes were closed gently as she enjoyed the silence between them. And even then, she needed a moment to calm her hammering heart. It was slowing down but she could still vividly remember every second of the last few moments; the memory of their connection and his soft and warm lips against hers. It was completely different from when she remembered their first kiss. It was unofficial of course but now, it was such a dramatic change.

This time around, she could experience the feelings he had been carrying. She had been carrying similar feelings but it was different from his. In that short instance when they were connected, she could taste him and sense the love he had for her. Not only that, she didn't know exactly what it was but when they kissed, nothing else mattered except for him.

Mei held her breath in anticipation. Would she be the one to break the silence? Or would he? She didn't know but she wanted to say something.

"… Xiang…" she whispered.

Xiang opened his eyes softly and held her more comfortably. "Yes?"

"I need to confirm this from you. We're together now?"

Xiang chuckled softly. "If that's what you want. I thought kissing you would be enough."

Mei blushed in response. "I w-want to… it was just unexpected. After the other night… I thought you didn't want to. What changed your mind?"

"I spoke to an acquaintance… he knew me for so long and he figured out what was bothering me. When he talked to me, he made me realize that there are only a few chances at happiness and you were the only one I wanted."

Mei smiled lightly. "You have a good friend."

Xiang nodded and he sat up with Mei still in his arms. The girl was slightly startled by the sudden action but didn't care since he was still holding her. "We should get back to the others before it gets dark."

"Do we have to?" she asked, sounding disappointed. "I was enjoying this time with just you and me."

"Yes we do. Believe me, I want nothing more than to just be alone with you but our friends might get worried about us."

Mei sighed. "I guess that's true. I just know Tai and Yue will be hammering us with questions."

"Let them." He rose to his feet as he helped Mei to hers.

The two began to walk back to their class but while their feet left imprints in the sand, the two quietly interlocked their hands. Both carried a smile on their faces as if nothing would be able to break their happiness.

When they returned to the group, almost everyone stared in shock and disbelief. First strike; Xiang was actually smiling instead of carrying his usual stoic expression. And second; the couple were holding hands. Almost the entire female population of the group glared at Mei with envy while the guys smiled in respect.

Xiang and Mei were able to maneuver themselves through the group of people and managed to find Tai and Yue sitting under an umbrella. The two turned their heads around and a smile instantly found its way on their face. Tai jumped out and cheered for the new couple and Yue laid back in relief. Now that all the drama was over, she could finally rest and not worry about them. But she was interested in Mei's story.

Tai ran over to Xiang and raised his hand for a high five. Xiang wordlessly returned the gesture. "Hey you two," he greeted happily. "It looks like you guys worked out your problems perfectly."

Mei blushed from the greeting but nodded shyly. She looked over to see Yue still lying on the beach towel but she turned her head and gave her a smile in response. Xiang appreciated the greeting but he didn't really need to hear what he already knew.

The teacher's voice suddenly blew out to everyone on the beach through a bullhorn. "Attention all students, we'll be returning to the hotel now so pack up your things."

Many of the students groaned at leaving the tropical beach but they couldn't really complain since many were exhausted from the long day. Mei's smile suddenly went away as she stared down at the sand. "… I wanted to spend more time with you."

Xiang moved his head to look directly at her and he gave her a reassuring smile. "How about you and I spend some time together? Tonight sound good?"

Mei's widen slightly as a blush crept over her face. "O-okay," she answers.

Xiang's smile brightens slightly. "Great. I'll see you tonight then."

* * *

><p>The night approached quickly as the sun finally disappeared in favor of a moonless night filled to the brim with the sparkling stars of the sky. The grounds were clear and the only sounds that could be found were the soft echoing sounds of waves. The hotel was relatively quiet now that dinner was over and everyone was allowed a three hour free period to do whatever they wanted.<p>

Yue was lying on her bed, casually reading a book as Mei ran around the room nervously searching for the right outfit for tonight. Yue at first tried to reason with Mei, saying that she looked perfectly fine but the stubborn girl ignored her comments and continued looking through outfits. Mei was worried because it seemed as though Xiang had asked her on a date even though it wasn't an official one. The Taiwanese girl searched through her dresses and occasionally sighed, finding that most of them were casual. After the longest time of searching, she found a sundress that she liked.

Just on time as well. The sound of knocking came from beyond the door and Mei tensed up instantly. Mei's nervousness returned and she cowered from the door. Yue sighed. "Mei, could you please stop being nervous. You're spending the night with Xiang. Make sure to just be calm and have fun with him," she urged.

Mei took a deep breath and put on a smile. "Thanks Yue. I needed to hear that," she admitted. Yue smiled at her friend and waved her hand to her, repeating herself and urging her to have fun.

Mei went over to the door and opened it. Her view of Xiang came into view and she couldn't help but blush slightly. Xiang was dressed in smooth black pants and he wore a thin red button up shirt over a black t-shirt. The look was so simple but he looked so handsome Mei thought.

Xiang took a moment to inspect Mei's outfit. She wore a pink cherry dress that had floral patterns decorating one side. In addition to the dress, she wore a red flower where her heart was; Xiang didn't know what kind of flower it was but it looked nice on her. He couldn't help but grin slightly when he noticed the pink that dusted her cheeks.

"Hey," he greeted.

"H-hey… y-you look nice," she commented nervously.

"I could say the same to you, but you're much more beautiful."

Mei's face turned scarlet and she tried hiding her face in her hands. "T-thanks… so we're we going?"

Xiang reached out and removed her hands from her face and held one. "You shouldn't hide your face. It'd be a disservice to the world if you did that," he insisted. "Also, we're going to be taking a walk in the park."

Mei's face got even redder, if that was possible, and she nodded. "O-okay. And that sounds nice."

Xiang gave her one of his rare smiles and guided her out of her room. Just before he closed the door, he stuck his head in through the door and saw Yue. "I'll bring her back before midnight," he assured.

Yue lifted her face from her book and gave him a slight nod in agreement. "Don't do anything crazy," she ordered.

"We'll see." Xiang closed the room to the door and began to walk with a flushed Mei. He turned his attention from the quiet halls to her. "No need to be so embarrassed you know."

"I-I'm not!" she stammered. "I'm just a bit nervous. This feels like a date."

Xiang chuckled. "I wouldn't call this a date. This is more like hanging out with my lovely girlfriend."

Mei stared at him slightly. The word girlfriend felt so foreign to her but when he said it, she felt as if her heart could burst from her chest from happiness. "That sounds fine then." Mei finally calmed down after a few moments and now enjoyed her alone time with Xiang. "So what will we be doing exactly?"

"Well I figured we could watch the stars and talk. I have some important things to establish to you."

Mei grew slightly curious as to what Xiang wanted to talk about but knew they would be getting to it soon enough so she pushed her curiosity aside. The two entered the outside of the hotel at last and it wasn't too soon that they reached the nearby park. Xiang pointed out a tall hill where they'd be watching the sky and they continued their walk till eventually they reached their destination.

Mei was stunned by the sight that was displayed before her. It was absolutely magnificent in all aspects. The way the pure white stars sparkled and dusted the clear night skies, illuminating the normally dark heavens. She still couldn't say anything but Xiang understood her reaction and lead her to the blanket lying on the hill's side.

He made her sit down so she'd be more comfortable watching the stars. "This is amazing," she exclaimed.

"I'm glad you think so." Xiang smiled and snaked his arms around her waist. "I'm glad I could share this moment with you and you only."

Mei laid her head against Xiang's chest and sighed contently. "Me too… So what did you want to talk about?"

"Well… about what I do," he revealed. "I want to know what you know and think."

"Oh, I'm fine with it. I figured we'd have to discuss this at some point."

"Is that so? Well first off, how did you find out?"

"I was suspicious for quite some time. Just everything about you reminded of that first night we met; the first night where you saved me from those men. And then I finally confirmed it a few nights ago when you fought against a police agent."

"So you were the person I thought I saw."

"I knew you saw me but at that point, it was just… too much for me to fathom. But after I thought about it, I knew I didn't care about what you did or your life as an assassin. I knew that my feelings didn't lessen but they grew… and I knew that I love you."

Xiang smiled and gave a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Again, I can't thank you enough for that."

"It's my pleasure," she sang.

"Well anyway, I need to warn you."

"About what? You wouldn't do anything to me, would you?" she asked innocently.

"I wouldn't. You're the only person I've ever treated so gently. And I will always do so but I mean others. Like the Organization and maybe rival organizations."

"What do you mean?"

"Our relationship, we have to try and keep it as quiet as we can. If the Organization or any rivals find out about my connections to you, they might try and do something to you. And I don't ever want to put you in danger or ever want you hurt."

"Oh, well despite that, you chose to be with me, right? So I'm going to take this challenge with you all the way. Any dangers or risks, I'll do my best to stay strong. I always want to be with you."

"Thank you Mei. I'll make sure I'll protect you with all my strength."

"All I ask is for you to do your best and be safe."

"I promise," he vowed.

"Good," she smiled. The atmosphere suddenly quieted and Mei moved closer to him. "Sorry… I'm a bit cold."

"Don't worry about it." Xiang tightened his hold over her and caressed her back gingerly. "Better?"

"Much better," she answered. Mei suddenly pulled Xiang down onto the blanket and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Being closer is warmer…"

"Of course. I thought you just wanted to be closer… or kiss."

Mei blushed slightly. "Both actually."

Xiang slowly leaned in toward her and she received his lips gently. Mei increased the pressure as she pulled his head closer to her. Xiang was slightly surprised but deepened the kiss and moved his lips against hers skillfully. Mei couldn't help but moan slightly as Xiang made the small but pleasing movements. Eventually, the two broke the kiss as their lungs begged for air.

Mei was panting and dizzy from the kiss but it was the best feeling. "T-that was amazing."

Xiang was slightly panting as Mei rested her head on his neck. "Yeah… you're a good kisser," he commented.

"You're better…" she whispered. Mei nuzzled into his neck, enjoying the warmth he provided.

The two remained relatively silent. The only sounds they could hear from the other was their soft breathing and the beating of their hearts. Both changed the position of their heads only slightly so they could see the stars above their heads. The scene was just perfect.

"Xiang…" she whispered.

"Hm?" he answered.

"I've never seen stars before… Back at home, the pollution and light from the buildings always blocks out the stars so no one can ever see them. But I'm glad I can see them with you for my first time."

"I'm happy to be here for your moment too. I didn't really mind if I ever could see these kinds of stars though. They were always there but I've found something so much more beautiful and memorable."

"What would that be?" she asked curiously.

"My light… my love… my sun… you."

Mei flushed and buried her face within his chest. "That's too sweet of you… thank you."

"I'm being sincere."

"I know that, it's just strange to hear. But I love the feeling it gives."

"I'm glad." Xiang held her closer and closed his eyes, just wanting to feel her presence.

The couple rested on the hill till both began to drift off. Mei wanted to just fall asleep in his arms till the sudden sounds of footsteps broke her of her sleepiness. Mei's eyes snapped opened and she could see rays of lights wavering above the hill. She nudged Xiang slightly, alerting him to the lights. Xiang raised his head and saw that it was the ground guards. Xiang cursed under his breath, remembering that they still had a curfew.

"We have to cut our time short," he said sadly. "We have to sneak back into the building."

Mei looked equally disappointed but understood. "So how do we do that?"

"Don't worry. I'll be your guide."

Xiang helped Mei to her feet and rolled the blanket up. He held her hand as his other arm held onto the blanket. The two made their way down the hill and Xiang waited for the right moment when the guard would pass them. The guard didn't notice the two at all and made his usual course around the grounds. Xiang and Mei quickly snuck back to the hotel and thankfully, no one spotted them.

Xiang lead Mei back to her room as quietly as possible, remembering that some people would be sleeping and he didn't want to disturb them. Finally the two returned to Mei's room and Xiang took a breath of relief. "We made it," he exclaimed.

"Yeah, I suppose it wasn't as dangerous as one of your regular missions."

"Not at all but I treated it as such. Well good night Mei, sleep well." Xiang leaned down and gave a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Xiang moved to walk away until he was stopped. He turned his head around and saw Mei still holding onto his hand as she stared at him with pleading eyes. "… I don't want you to go."

Xiang went over to her and held her in a tender hug. "It's alright… I don't want to either but it's just for tonight."

Mei still looked reluctant to part ways until Xiang leaned in slowly to her. She understood immediately and leaned forward and met his lips with her own. The kiss was so very gentle and it only lasted a moment but it was enough to make Mei blush as they pulled away. Xiang gave her an honest smile which finally reassured Mei.

"Don't worry too much now, okay?" Xiang asked. Mei replied with a shy nod. "Then sleep well my love and sweet dreams."

Mei gave a quick peck to Xiang's cheek as she entered her room. Mei saw that Yue was already fast asleep at her side of the room and Mei quickly changed for bed. She entered the soft mattress and the coziness of the bed made her eyes grow heavy as she began to drift off. And even though she knew she was going to enter her dreams, she would be awakening to a dream that became reality.

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><p>The morning sun shined softly onto the morning dew. The students of the hotel started to awaken for the early and long day they would be having. Mei rose lazily from her bed as Yue shook her awake. The Taiwanese girl rubbed her eyes but it didn't have any effect in waking her up.<p>

"Mei, wake up. We have to get up early today remember?"

"But why?" she whined.

"We're going on a hiking trip today," she explained. "And if you get ready quickly, you can see Xiang sooner," she teased.

Mei was now wide awake as she leaped out of her bed. Even though Mei was moving quickly, she couldn't hide her flushed face and her wide grin. Yue chuckled at her reaction. Mei was so much happier now and in return, Yue was happy for her best friend. Despite Xiang's mysterious nature, she believed that Mei did understand him and vice versa.

After a few minutes, Mei was ready and she didn't have to wait for Yue since she was ready before Mei even woke up. The two friends smiled at each other and exited the room. The moment Mei entered the hallway, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

Mei gasped from the sudden contact and when she turned her head around to see who it was, she blushed. "Good morning," Xiang greeted.

"X-Xiang!" she exclaimed. "W-what are you doing here so early?"

Xiang quietly nuzzled into her hair before answering. "I wanted to see you as soon as possible," he whispered.

"Is that so?" she asked.

"Yes. Would you like to be my partner for the hike?"

Mei tensed up slightly and looked at Yue pleadingly. Earlier, Mei said she would be Yue's partner. Yue chuckled slightly and nodded in agreement. She would just be Tai's partner if anything. Mei quickly mouthed 'thank you' to her friend and looked up to see Xiang. "I'd love to." Xiang smiled and held her tighter.

Yue snuck away from the new couple and sighed contently. She was happy that the two were together and all, but their cuteness was just way too much for her to take. Yue enjoyed her peace and quiet even though having such a hyper boyfriend and best friend kept her away from that. But she didn't regret any of that.

Xiang and Mei made their way downstairs, their hands interlocked with each other. When they reached downstairs, students were already up and boarding the bus for the mountains. Not wanting to lose a good seat, the two hurried onto the bus and found a good seat near the back of the bus. The teacher wanted to give a few more students time to get down but Mei didn't mind. It just meant she get to spend more time with Xiang in the long run.

After the rest of the students rushed in, the bus came to life and started on their journey. Almost everyone was unusually quiet since it was still early. It seemed as though the only two that wasn't tired were obviously Xiang and Mei. The two held an extraordinarily amount of energy that kept them awake and focused on the other.

Mei fidgeted in her seat slightly as the ride continued. Occasionally, she would turn to see Xiang looking out the window, his hand still holding onto hers. It was slightly awkward for her as they sat together. Technically, they had privacy since everyone was asleep but neither made any move toward the other. Mei took a deep breath and inched closer to Xiang. She didn't make a significant movement but slowly as seconds passed, she got closer.

Xiang took notice of her shy advance and smiled at her. In a swift movement of his arms, he pulled her close so that no distance separated them. Mei blushed at the suddenness. "If you wanted to get closer, all you had to do was to do so or say so."

Mei buried her flush face into his chest. "But this situation seems awkward…" she mumbled.

"What's so strange about it?"

"It's just… we're the only ones awake so we have privacy but neither of us were doing anything."

"We don't have to do anything unless you want to." Xiang moved his hand under her chin and lifted it slightly. "Do you?" he asked, lowering his voice.

Mei's face turned scarlet as she stared back at him. "W-what do you mean by that?"

"I mean we could do anything you like," he answered simply.

"I-I d-don't know…" she stammered. Mei tried turning her head away in embarrassment until Xiang pulled it back.

Mei couldn't avoid his eyes this time but they seemed different. A strange fiery glow enhanced his golden eyes that made them irresistible. "If you don't know, then I'll guide you." Xiang slowly closed his eyes and leaned forward. Mei tensed up from the action but she didn't dare move away. The girl closed her eyes in anticipation and waited but no contact was made. That was when Mei realized that Xiang wanted her to make the first contact and she began to lean forward herself.

Just before their lips met, the bus hit a bump and Mei instead jumped and clung onto Xiang. The couple was startled by the sudden break of their moment and saw that the bump started everyone else's awakening. The two sighed to each other and snuggled closer to one another. Their privacy had been cut short but there was no reason why they still couldn't enjoy the others presence and touch.

Now that everyone was awake, the trip seemed to go much quicker but maybe it was just because Xiang and Mei had lost their sense of time while with each other. Each second alone was an eternity too short.

The chatter of the awakened students started to make everyone else rise and in turn, the silent bus was now full of sounds from the students. The bus ride, before long ended as everyone started to exit into a clearing. The serene image of the forest before them was breathtaking. The soft colors of different shades of greens enhanced their senses as they could hear various chirps from flying birds and the scent of the fresh woodland.

The teacher gathered all the students to a single location, making sure they all had their hiking backpacks with them and equipped with the proper supplies. Their instructor turned around and began to guide the group of students towards the mountain range. Everyone could hear the crunching of their steps on fallen branches and the dirt road in front of them.

Before long, their simple hike had various obstacles for them to overcome. In front of the group, stood a steep rock formation and it didn't seem likely that they could just walk around it. Luckily for the students, the teacher had anticipated such an obstacle and prepared some climbing equipment.

Xiang only stood back to watch as almost every student struggled to even get a grip on the rocks. Many of the students fell off before they even got one foot off the ground. And whatever they were doing, it wasn't safe at all. The way they just mindlessly inserted metal rods to the rock would easily break out.

Xiang's eyes widened as he saw Mei climbing the cliff but he could clearly see that she hadn't fastened her rope to the rods or to herself. He quickly sprinted off and just as he got closer, rocks began to tumble down. The girl tried shifting her weight to a different ledge but it was too late. The rock she was holding on to broke loose and she fell.

Mei closed her eyes and awaited the pain that would follow her but all she felt was something firm yet soft that broke her fall. She opened her eyes and she looked up to see Xiang holding her in his arms. He had a terrified expression on his face as held her.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm f-fine… just a bit startled."

"You need to be more careful next time Mei. You could've gotten hurt like that."

"I'm sorry… I thought I could do this."

Xiang sighed. "It's fine. I'll get us up there."

"What? How?"

Xiang lowered Mei to her feet and motioned her to get on his back. She obeyed and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and shoulders. Xiang began to scout for the best spot to start climbing and went over to the side of the rocks. He immediately secured his hands onto the walls and began to climb. The sudden change in altitude made Mei tighten her hold on him, nearly choking him at the same time. She was also surprised by how easily Xiang was climbing the steep cliffs.

Before she knew it, Xiang reached the top and Mei was glad to have her own footing again. "How did you do that so easily?" she asked.

Xiang shrugged. "I'm supposed to be prepared for these kinds of things. It's only basics."

Mei was astonished by how skillful Xiang was. He seemed so perfect but even if he wasn't, she cared about him just as much. Mei reached out and took his hand. "Let's go up to the peak then?"

"What about the others?"

"They'll get there soon enough. I want more alone time with you," she smiled.

Xiang nodded and began to walk up with her. The rest of the path wasn't difficult to navigate at all since it was a pretty straight forward path. The couple was silent the entire way up to the peak but they didn't need to say anything to each other. That peace and tranquility that could only be found through their connection was enough for them.

The moment they reached the top of the mountain, Mei gasped. The view was breathtaking and gorgeous in all aspects. Out in the distance were trees that covered the island along with a clear blue lake that sat in the center of it all. Then just beyond the forest, was the deep blue ocean. She could see the white foam that formed from waves and the waves of sandy shores that surrounded the isle.

"This is… amazing…"

Xiang went over and quietly hugged Mei from behind. "Isn't it?"

Mei shook her head happily and walked forward to get a closer look until she saw how high up they were. Immediately she jumped back in freight and Xiang held her comfortingly. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"H-High up…"

Xiang turned her around and led her to a tree to lean against. "Just focus on me and forget about the height, okay?"

Mei nodded shyly and looked up to see Xiang's face. She didn't realize how close he was to her but when she did, her face heated up instantly. "X-Xiang… you're really close…"

The Cantonese teen smirked and leaned forward. "Is that a problem?" he whispered. He didn't need an answer. Just the scarlet color of her face was enough to tell him all he needed.

Xiang got even closer to her, separating more and more distance between them. Mei closed her eyes and prepared herself but just as Xiang slightly brushed his lips against hers, the sudden rustling of leaves made him snap back.

He quickly wrapped his arms around Mei in a protective manner. He turned his head around and saw a shadowy figure disappear from his vision. The way the figure disappeared wasn't normal but that wasn't the only thing that made it different. Just the slight eye contact he made with it told him that the person meant harm. The aura that he sensed was filled with bloodlust.

Just as he began to move, his classmates suddenly appeared. All of them tired from the climb but they all held honest smiles on their faces. Maybe he was seeing things, but if he was, that was one hell of an illusion.

"Xiang? Are you okay?"

Xiang turned his attention back to Mei who was still in his arms. "It's nothing. Just my imagination I guess."

"Oh, maybe we should just relax. You seem kind of jumpy."

"That sounds good." Xiang took another glance back at the trees and didn't hear or see anything. Even if his mind was playing tricks with him, he wouldn't take any chance at Mei's safety.

* * *

><p>"That was an awesome hike," exclaimed Tai.<p>

The group was walking back to the buses after a short climb down the mountain. Some were exhausted but Tai was that strange guy that always had too much energy. "Tai," Yue huffed. "Slow down. Not all of us are as hyper as you."

"Don't be so critical Yue. I'm just getting to the bus faster."

Xiang and Mei watched the couple bicker to one another albeit laughing at the same time. Xiang couldn't help but be suspicious and cautious of what he saw earlier. He tried to push it out of his mind but he just couldn't.

Trying to get his mind off of it, he began to look around the area to find anything that would catch his interest. The thing he found though sent shivers up his spine. He had looked down to the ground and his classes' footprints but there was something strange about them. The prints should all be leading toward the mountain and his group was the one leading the rest. Then there was the strange part, there were footprints that were going the opposite way, leading to the bus.

There was something definitely wrong.

Xiang's eyes trailed up the path and saw the footprints lead right to a bus and then it trailed off to the side. At the side of the bus were a number of prints. Just from the look of it, Xiang could tell that someone was doing something to the bus.

Before anyone went any further, Xiang reached out and stopped Tai from advancing any further. He turned back and gave him a questioning look. "What's wrong Xiang?"

"No one go any further." Xiang reached down and picked up a stone. Several meters separated them from the bus but he wanted to be sure. "Everyone get back." The sound of his voice was serious and commanding. Not wanting to argue or question him, they did as they were told.

Xiang checked to make sure they would be safe in case of anything and he threw the stone straight at the bus. The stone made contact with a loud clank against the metal frame of the vehicle. Nothing seemed to happen at the moment but it was too soon to assume anything. As if on a timer, the bus suddenly burst into flames and only a few seconds later did it explode. Xiang quickly dived to the ground as shrapnel flew in all directions until the blast finally settled.

Everyone that hid behind trees was wide eyed and speechless. They could have all been killed if they got onto the bus or were to close. Xiang rose to the ground and looked behind to check if anyone was hurt. Luckily no one was.

When Xiang glanced forward, he saw the fiery wreckage where a bus once rested. Ignoring the whispers behind him, he walked toward the remains and inspected it. Xiang had the skill to read any situation quickly and be able to react to it accordingly so when he saw the bus' remains, he knew what caused the eruption of metal. Any normal person would notice the wires were cut from the fuel line but Xiang saw the fading scorch marks all over the interior. It was ingenious in a way; the fire created from the explosions would still remain and burn away any signs of the bombs ever being there.

By the time a proper inspector came to investigate the bus, there wouldn't be any evidence left to see besides the fuel lines decapitation. Xiang knew that this was no simple murder attempt. He then realized something critical. Whoever set up the trap would still be looking at their work to make sure it succeeded.

Xiang snapped his head up and quickly glanced around the area. At the corner of a tree, he could see a shadowy figure. The assassin didn't waste any time in his pursuit as he sprinted off into the assailant's direction. Xiang moved at a blinding speed but even at such a velocity, the figure noticed him.

The figure finally made his appearance and whipped out a gun. He knew at the rate Xiang was moving; there was no way he could escape so he had to fight. Gunfire resounded across the quiet forest as the man tried shooting Xiang but the Cantonese teen's keen eyes allowed him to easily dodge the array of bullets flying toward him.

In another burst of speed, Xiang appeared before the man and quickly knocked the gun into the air. Before the man could react to the attack, Xiang began a barrage of strikes and thrust into the man's chest, knocking him straight back into the woody tree. The man gasped as all his breath was blown out of him. Xiang stretched his arm out and the gun he knocked into the air fell into his open hand.

Immediately, he pointed the gun at the man's legs and shot at them. The man cried out in pain as his legs were stained with red. Now that he was disabled, there was no way he could escape.

Behind his head, Xiang could hear others running toward him. He turned his head around and to his surprise; he saw Mei was the one ahead of everyone. The girl finally reached Xiang and gasped as she saw the man lying against the tree.

"W-who is he?"

"I don't know, but I bet he's the one who fixed the bus."

Mei was speechless. Why was this dangerous person roaming around? And why would he want them killed? Just as she was about to ask these questions, the man took out another gun from his coat. Xiang reacted quickly and moved to push Mei out of the way.

The gun's echo rang in Xiang and Mei's ears as they lied on the ground. Slowly, both opened their eyes to see the other. They were perfectly fine. When they turned their attention to the man, Mei's eyes grew incredibly wide as she hid her face in Xiang's chest. He held her comfortingly, cursing that she had to see such a thing. The man pulled the trigger in his own mouth.

Xiang helped Mei up to her feet but the girl stood weak kneed. He understood why she would feel this way and he made sure he would be right there for her, for everyone second. Mei refused to lift her face from Xiang and he didn't care either. The way he held her, it was as if Xiang just being there erased any discomfort she held. The teacher finally arrived to the scene and she too was speechless.

An hour passed and the students were being lead to the spare bus. This one was safe. But because it was a tight squeeze, some were squished in to the seats while others found other means of arrangement. By that, an embarrassed Mei sat on Xiang's lap. She didn't mind the way he held her so comfortingly but others began to stare; some snickering and others jealous.

The teacher wanted no student to be left behind at that area as the authorities started to arrive. The police insisted that they take the innocents away as they underwent their investigation. Mei sighed and leaned into Xiang's chest more. It was obvious she wanted nothing else but to just rest now.

Xiang ran his hand gently through her hair. "Just rest Mei. I'll watch over you." Mei smiled. She trusted him completely and closed her eyes. Within seconds, Mei's soft breathing announced she was asleep and finally getting some deserved rest in the arms of her love.

* * *

><p>The sun had fallen minutes ago as the students gathered around in the hotel's lounge. Most of the teens crowded around the plain white screen and others found sofas and chairs to sit in. For that night, everyone would be watching a movie and the majority vote was on a romantic comedy; obviously mostly girls dominated the class.<p>

Luckily for the few couples of the class, they found that this would be the perfect opportunity to get more quality time with their loved one. Xiang and Mei found a comfy chair to sit in and Mei took the opportunity to sit in Xiang's lap. She had become accustomed to sitting this way from the bus ride and either way, she liked being so close to him.

The lights finally flashed off and the projector started to turn and present the movie. Almost all at once, the girls of the class cried out when they say the main character of the movie. The boys groaned in silence, this was definitely not their ideal movie.

Mei stirred slightly as she watched the movie. She thought this would focus more on actual comedy but clearly it was just showing handsome men to attract the mass of girls. Mei looked up to see Xiang to find he was looking back down at her.

"You want to get out of here?" she asked.

"You read my mind," he whispered.

The two shuffled out of their seats and quietly snuck out of the longue. It wasn't difficult since everyone was distracted by the movie. Once they emerged from the room, they let out a sigh of relief. The crisp night air was refreshing and the stars that lit the dark skies only added to the two's relaxation.

"So what are we going to do?"

"I'm sure there are a lot of activities for us to do," answered Xiang. "Like earlier in the day, I saw a poster about a submarine ride we could go to."

"That sounds so cool! Let's go."

"Alright. It didn't look too expensive. Just around a hundred per person."

"H-hundred? I don't want to make you spend that much. We can find something else less expensive to do."

"Don't be silly, Mei. It's really nothing. I want to do this."

Mei still looked reluctant to accept the offer but Xiang held her hand and began to lead her towards the sea. She sighed, she really didn't want Xiang to spoiling her like this but he was just as stubborn as she was so she knew there was no use arguing since she wanted to see the underwater creatures and landscape herself.

The two walked along the lonely road, admiring the peace they had together. They reached the docks and there rested a small house stand where a ticket salesman lazily leaning against his hand. Xiang and Mei walked up to the stand and looked at the options they had. In particular, the genuine war submarine caught both of their eyes.

Xiang paid for the ride and the salesman handed over two tickets. Mei excitedly grabbed Xiang's hand and ran across the dock to the end. The head of the dock was empty save for a bench where people could sit. The two took a seat and waited for their time slot to arrive. It seemed as though they were the only two there.

A cloaked figure suddenly appeared, walking down the dock as the sound of boots merging with the splashing of the waves. Neither Xiang nor Mei could see who it was because of the darkness and the fact that a hat hid their face. The two didn't want to stare any longer and returned their attention to the deep dark blue sea.

The transportation boat arrived right on time and only a few people were on staff. Xiang and Mei handed over their tickets and boarded the ship, followed by the cloaked figure. After a final call for any other passengers, the small boat speeded off into the sea. It only took a few minutes to arrive out at a deep enough part of the waters. There, a large submarine rested.

The design of the submarine was that classic war time. One of the crew men released the hatch of the underwater craft and urged the two to go in. Xiang and Mei did just that and when they entered, the lighting blinded them for a few seconds. Their eyes adjusted to the bright change from night to light and they could see how intricate the submarine was.

Mei looked around to see if there was a pilot around but it was just the two of them. "Where's the pilot?" she asked.

"I think this is mechanically operated. "

"Oh that's interesting."

The two took the opportunity to explore the vessel. Xiang somehow found his way to the weapons room where actual torpedoes rested. Except there was a huge sign that read 'Replicas.' There was another sign that said 'Do not touch.'

The two turned their heads when they heard a huge clank at the other end of the submersible. The two went over to the room and saw the cloaked figure from before. The hatch suddenly closed and a voice from the intercom told them that the sub would now be submerging into the waters.

They could feel the change in pressure as the sub went deeper into the waters. Xiang and Mei went to another end of the sub to attempt to see outside. Just then, the sound of a coat falling to the floor made them turn their attention to their fellow passenger.

The now revealed person was a young woman. She stood tall, strong and confident. Her hair was a deep honey brown but her skin was relatively pale. Her appearance aside, there was a defining trait that just screamed danger. Her eyes burned with the fire of hate.

"Who are you?" Xiang demanded.

"Kyra. You must be the assassin."

Xiang and Mei tensed. How did she know that? Xiang took a step back and made Mei get behind him. No matter how ignorant they were on information, Xiang knew she was dangerous.

"How do you know who I am?"

"You destroyed my employers just a few days ago."

"You're from the mining operation?"

"You could say that. I'm their top guard and I was away. And then I come back to the island to find it in ruins. One of my fellow workers was just barely breathing but he told me that an assassin attacked them. Then I looked at the security cameras footage and I saw you. I then tracked you down and somehow you survived that bus explosion."

"You're the one who set that up?"

"Yes and I left a decoy there to make sure I wouldn't be found. But obviously he failed."

Xiang knew a fight was approaching but he could risk Mei. "Listen, why don't we settle this somewhere else?"

She rolled her eyes and returned her hated gaze at him "Uh… Hell no. You're going to die."

Kyra quickly unsheathed a sword from her side but it wasn't any kind Xiang had ever used. It was thin. A rapier. The woman dashed off toward the two and Xiang sprinted off to fight. He had no weapons with him so he had to fight hand to hand.

The woman swung her blade toward him at a blindingly fast speed. Xiang just barely dodged it but jumping back but before he knew it, she was ready to strike again. Xiang tried jumping to the side, this time however he wasn't so lucky. The blade nicked his arm.

Xiang slid across the floor but his eyes grew wide as Kyra made her way toward Mei. Before he could reach them, Kyra had already gotten behind Mei and had the rapier centimeters from her throat.

"X-Xiang…" Mei gasped.

"Let her go!"

"Get to the ground," she commanded. Xiang seemed to refuse but the sword was only pressed closer to Mei, showing that she meant it.

Xiang grudgingly dropped to the floor. He had absolutely no choice but to. Kyra smirked and shoved Mei to the ground and ran over to the Asian. Kyra knew there was no way he could rise from the ground in such a distance and time.

She pulled back for a thrust and in an instantly threw the point forward. Unexpectedly Xiang spun around on the ground and knocked the sword to the side with his foot. Xiang leaped into the air and planted his feet to the ground before using a palm thrust to knock her back.

Xiang couldn't waste any time and ran forward and began to fight her hand to hand. However it wasn't so easy. Kyra took her own fighting stance and fought back in a furious manner. Xiang was able to meet each attack but at this rate, they wouldn't get anywhere. Xiang then thought of a risky plan and began to withdraw his strength slightly, allowing himself to be pushed back.

Eventually the two were fighting in the weapons room and Xiang saw what he needed. He waited until the right opportunity and caught Kyra's arm when she attempted to strike him. He then threw her into the walls and opened one of the torpedo hatches. He didn't waste any time in kicking her at her side and knocking her to the floor. He went over and threw her into the opened hatch. The woman fought to be released but Xiang forcefully shut the hatch.

He then locked it in place and went over to the controls and slammed the fire button. An alarm went off as the sound of the mechanism fired. Xiang panted and used the wall to support himself. Either way, the woman would be dead. If not from the ocean's pressure, then drowning.

Mei ran into the room and supported Xiang. "Are you okay?" she asked, worried.

"I'm fine… just tired. She was good. Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me. I thought she was going to kill you."

"Yeah, so did I for a second. Thank goodness I remembered the torpedo hatches." Xiang took a moment to catch his breath and then wrapped his arms around Mei. "I'm sorry I put you in such danger."

"It's okay Xiang…"

"No it isn't," he interrupted. "You could have been hurt or even worse killed."

"Xiang… do you remember what we talked about the other night? I'll take this challenge. I want to be with you no matter what happens. I know you'll always be there and I'll do my very best to be there for you whenever you need me."

Xiang did remember. He never wanted this kind of life for her but it happened and there's nothing he can do but face it head on, with her. "Yes, I'll always be there for you. To protect you, to love you, whatever happens."

"We'll be there for one another. Always," she finished.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia, just the plot<strong>

**A/n: yes! Finally I updated and the journey continues for the both of them. I'm sorry it took so long to update, its just the chapters I found the most interesting I go faster. But anyway I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and the fluff in the beginning and the action in the end because it might be relatively the same for the next chapter. However I won't give anything away, just that the trip is over now. Also if you were confused about the death, after a person obtains a certain depth under water, the pressure is too great for the body to handle and they are crushed. Okay, I'll try to get the updates on a more timely schedule from now on but I can't promise anything for the next two and a half weeks because I'm preparing something for my cousin's wedding :3 But I will continue to write. Reviews are greatly appreciated and are almost always responded to. Thank you my dear readers for waiting and until next time, see you later. **


	12. Chapter 12: Hindering Stakes

_In countless times, many obstacles are present in one's life and must be overcome in order to see a better future; especially if it's meant for another_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 12:**_

_**Hindering Stakes**_

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The clock's taunting tick tock was driving Mei insane. This week of school was coming to an end along with the slow and steady fall of the sun. Despite such a momentous occasion, Mei was nervously fidgeting with her hands, and occasionally glancing over to see Xiang lazily playing his part in the piece. The reason for Mei's nervousness originated earlier that week when the trip finally ended.

* * *

><p>The sun's brilliant light reflected off of the sea gently as the ship neared its destination and the student's home. Standing at the edge of the ship was Xiang and Mei, the two holding hands as usual.<p>

"This trip has been so amazing, don't you think?" Mei asked.

"Yeah it has… A part of me wished it lasted longer," answered Xiang.

"Aw, it'll be okay."

"I know… but it's not the trip bothering me. It's wanting to spend more time with you."

Mei chuckled slightly. "Is that it? I'll always want to spend time with you and given any chance, I'll accept it."

"Is that so?" he asked.

"Yep!" she chirped.

"Then I'll pick you up this Friday night?"

Mei quickly turned her head toward him, stunned. "Heh? Did you j-just…"

"Well?" he urged.

"O-of course," she answered. "I'd love to."

* * *

><p>Mei for the entire week grew incredibly nervous and anxious. And now that the day finally arrived, nothing else occupied her mind. Their first official date.<p>

Xiang didn't tell her anything about what he had planned except to get dressed at their room and enormous and there was no telling what he had there to do. At one point, Mei's mind thought of indecent things but she quickly shook them off, telling herself that it was much too soon for those kinds of things.

The bell's ring broke her of her trance and she saw everyone leaving the room. When she turned her head to see Xiang, he was already right next to her which made her jump back in surprise.

"Don't scare me like that, Xiang."

"Oh sorry. Just double checking, you're ready for tonight right?"

"Y-yeah I am," she answered. She didn't want to tell him how nervous she was but Xiang could easily tell from the way she looked.

"Well, I'll pick you up in one hour in front of the school, kay?"

Mei nodded and got up from her seat. Xiang followed and gave a gentle kiss to her cheek before leaving her to her own. The moment Xiang was out of sight, Mei ran out of the classroom. As she ran, she could see Yue in the distance and she quickened her pace.

Yue was quietly walking to her room to get a few things for the weekend when Mei suddenly appeared and tackled her. "Mei! What are you doing?"

"Yue," she pleaded. "I need your help."

"Well could you get off of me first?"

Mei unwrapped her arms from her friend and stood firmly. "Sorry… so can you?"

"That depends, what do you need help with?"

"Well… Xiang asked me out on a date…"

"And you need help preparing?" she finished. Mei nodded shyly as a blush appeared on her face. Yue sighed but smiled. "No problem."

Mei instantly brightened. "Thank you so much Yue!"

"It's nothing. Well let's go to your room and pick something out. We can't keep him waiting, right?"

Mei nodded happily and began to drag Yue to her room at a frightening speed. The two girls burst through the door and Yue landed on Mei's bed. The Vietnamese girl took a moment to gather her breath after that endeavor. Mei went through her closet and took out all the dresses she had and planted them next to Yue.

"So what do you think I should wear?" Mei asked nervously.

Yue took a moment to ruffle through the pile of dresses and thought about the occasion. She wasn't usually the girly girl that would worry over appearance but she did know style. Even though this was to help Mei, there wasn't any reason Yue couldn't have a bit of fun with it.

Yue found a few plain dresses that she put aside right away. If this was going to be their first date, plain wasn't going to cut it. The Vietnamese girl continued to ruffle through the outfits until she found one she was sure would have that 'wow' factor. She turned to Mei and presented the dress and Mei blushed slightly from the thought of wearing it but nodded.

Mei quickly changed into the dress as Yue helped her fix her hair. As soon as they were done, Mei went over to her mirror and took a moment to look over her outfit. She wore a deep bright red cocktail dress which cut off just above her knees. The ensemble hugged her figure perfectly, revealing any and all the curves of her body. Mei's hair seemed a bit more lustrous as it cascaded beyond her shoulders.

Mei went over to her friend and gave her a tight hug. "Thank you so much Yue."

Yue gave her a light smile and returned the hug. "You can thank me later. Now go. You don't want to keep Xiang waiting that long do you?"

Mei shook her head and grabbed her purse going out the door. The girl walked nervously all the way down to the gate of the school. Mei looked from both sides of the street and didn't see anyone around, let alone Xiang.

Just as Mei reached for her cell phone to call him, her head snapped up as she heard the sound of a car rolling down the street. A jet black car pulled up beside her and Mei, curious, tried to look through the tinted windows. As she walked up to the car, the windows rolled down and Xiang sat in the driver's seat.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Xiang?" Mei opened the door and stepped in, sitting down on the comfortable seat. "Where did you get this car?"

Xiang started to drive off. "Well, this is mine. I made it."

"You made a car?" she asked, astonished.

"I have a lot of free time sometimes and a lot of technology lying around so why not?"

"Well this is very impressive," she smiled.

"Thanks." Xiang continued to drive for a few more minutes and out of the corner of his eye, glanced at Mei. "You look very nice."

Mei blushed and turned her attention to her lap. "Y-you think?" Mei didn't know the exact reason why she was acting so nervous; first date? Being alone with Xiang? But in any case, she was happy.

"Always," he answered. Wanting to break the silence, Xiang turned on some classical music.

The familiar tune and melody made Mei relax instantly. The girl focused on just being with Xiang and the soft sounds that resounded in the car.

Before she knew it, the car suddenly came to a halt. Mei opened her eyes and she looked around to see that they arrived at Xiang's home. Xiang quickly got out of the car and went around opening Mei's door for her. Mei smiled and took Xiang's offered hand. Like a gentleman, Xiang lead her into the house.

Mei was amazed by the walkway leading to the house. Xiang really did go all out by putting down small lights to guide them. Xiang slowly opened the door to his home and Mei expected the illumination of a light to blind her but it didn't.

Curious, Mei stepped into the house but it was just as dark as the outside. Quietly, Xiang continued to guide her into another part of the house. She was completely dependent on Xiang's guidance but didn't mind really. All she could focus on was Xiang after all.

The two suddenly stopped and Xiang released her hand. Mei was slightly afraid of the darkness but the sound of Xiang's quiet steps reassured and comforted her. Very slowly, she began to see an image of the room she stood in. Mei turned her attention to the ceiling and right above her rested thousands of stars. An indescribable feeling welled up inside of her as she stared at the stars.

When she returned her attention to what was in front of her, a romantic table was set and right by a chair was Xiang, smiling softly. Mei wordlessly walked forward toward him and she stumbled when she went forward. Xiang glided forward and held her, supporting her entire being.

"Xiang… t-this… is… magnificent."

"I'm glad you like this."

"T-this is all… so… wow... How did you do this? Why?"

"Well, I've been planning for this night with you. All I did was take a transparent map of the stars and project it through light and it created this. And I remember you said you don't usually see stars in the city so I thought you'd like to see these stars with me."

Mei was astounded. Xiang had done all that for her just because she said she'd never seen real stars before until they went on the trip. The girl hugged him and closed her eyes as she leaned into his chest. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smiled. "Now let's eat. You must be starving."

The girl blushed slightly but it was true. "Yep," she chirped. Mei strolled over to a seat and sat down as a pearl white plate rested in front of her.

Xiang had disappeared into the kitchen but it only lasted for a moment as he glided out, carrying four plates of what looked to be some fruit, Peking duck, crab, and fried rice. Xiang quickly placed the food down in the center of the table and took his own seat across from Mei.

"Enjoy."

Being the gentleman he is, Xiang reached out and took a bit of everything and gave it to Mei. The girl took a moment to look at the food and it all looked cooked to perfection. Suddenly, the smell of the food hit her senses. The aroma was simply mouthwatering. Mei eagerly picked up a piece of duck with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. The savory taste of the duck exploded in her mouth, making her clutch her cheek in pure delight.

Xiang was leaning his chin on his hand as he watched her taste the food. He smiled lightly as he saw her reaction. "You like it?" he asked.

"It's delicious!" she commented. "Did you make this?"

Xiang nodded. "I was preparing most of it before hand and finished cooking it today."

"This is just too amazing, Xiang."

Xiang chuckled. "Okay, enough with the compliments. Let's not let the food go to waste now."

Mei agreed with him and dug into her food. She tried her best to eat slowly and savor the taste but it was impossible for her. The girl quickly finished off her plate and went for seconds. Xiang smiled as they ate. He wasn't too surprised when he learned Mei could eat so much despite her petite form but then again, he wasn't one to talk. He ate just as much as the girl and even more so.

After a few minutes of constant eating, the two realized they finished eating all the food Xiang had made. That's when the food finally settled and the two let out a satisfied sigh. "That was really yummy," Mei commented.

"Glad you enjoyed it so much." Xiang stood up and began to clean up all the plates. He stacked the cleaned plates on top of one another and went into the kitchen.

Mei didn't want to feel like a free-loader and followed to help. She knew Xiang was going to refuse her help but regardless she was going to help him. Mei poked her head into the kitchen. It was the first time she actually saw it instead of just a glimpse. The kitchen was a bright white. Spotless. It seemed to have every cooking appliance needed to make anything. Some Mei didn't even recognize.

Xiang saw the girl from the corner of his eyes and he put the dishes in the washer. "Mei?"

"Oh Xiang." Mei walked into the room and went over to him. "I was going to ask if you needed help but I see you have things covered."

"You didn't even have to help you know. Well now that that's done, what would you like to do anything?"

Mei placed a finger to her lip to think for a moment. What was something she wanted to see or do? When she thought of what she wanted to see, she blushed lightly. "See your room?"

"That's completely fine," he answered. He took the girl's hand and began to lead her.

Mei quietly followed Xiang to his room. Since it was her first time ever entering it, she expected it to be as luxurious as the rest of the house but to her surprise, it wasn't. It was simple yet it still held an air of refined elegance. The room was decorated in a red, white and black theme. The bed was covered in red sheets and the pillows were a fluffy white. At a corner of the room, a black sofa rested. Next to it stood a similar arm chair but it was much more suited for its owner to read the supply of books that were placed into a bookcase. At the other end of the room, another door was open which lead to a private bathroom. Even if it wasn't as amazing as the rest of the house, to Mei, it was absolutely magnificent.

Mei quietly walked over to the bed, running her hand against the soft covers. "This is nice."

"You think?" Xiang asked.

Mei nodded and rolled onto the bed and rested on her back. "Yeah, it's a really cozy room."

Xiang eyed her for a moment before walking over to her. "What are you doing?"

"Lying on your bed? Is that a problem?" Mei gave him an innocent smile and rolled onto her belly when the scent of Xiang's pillows hit her. The faint yet intoxicating scent of the ocean mixed with a hint of strawberries came into her senses. It was a strange combination to be sure but it was simply divine to Mei.

Xiang raised an eyebrow and jumped onto the bed and right next to Mei. "What are you doing?"

Mei lifted her head from the pillow and blushed. "N-nothing," she muttered.

Xiang pulled her close and whispered into her ear. "Don't lie, Mei."

The girl flushed deeper and buried her face into his chest. "O-okay… your pillows just smell… good…" As Mei hid her flushed face from Xiang, she realized the source of the smell was Xiang.

"Are you okay, Mei?" Xiang moved his hand onto her forehead. "You seem a bit warm." Xiang was completely oblivious as to why Mei was so flustered. There wasn't anything embarrassing about smelling something nice. Well that's what he thought anyway.

Mei pulled back from Xiang's chest and pouted slightly at him. "I'm not sick."

"I never said you were. I just wanted to know what was wrong."

"Nothing!" she exclaimed. Before Xiang could respond however, Mei tackled him onto the bed and placed all her weight on him to make sure he couldn't escape.

"M-Mei… what are you doing?" he asked nervously.

Instead of answering him, Mei leaned in closer to him until he could feel her hot breath against his face. "There isn't anything wrong with wanting to taste something that smells good right?" Mei didn't know what came over her, being as daring as she was right now. But she knew it was better not to lie to herself and she loved the way Xiang blushed.

Slowly Mei pressed her lips against his, closing her eyes and snaking her arms under his neck. As Xiang kissed back, Mei felt her insides turn inside out from the pleasure of his kiss. The two moved their lips skillfully against one another until their lungs begged for air.

The two pulled apart, panting and flushed but never regretting a moment of their connection. "W-what's g-gotten into you?" he managed to say.

"I… don't know… you make me do crazy things, Xiang." Mei leaned back down and captured his lips once more, not intending to give him a chance to respond with words.

This time, Mei kissed him deeper; wanting to ease that growing need but it wasn't decreasing in the slightest. Rather, she felt a burning need for just Xiang and Xiang alone. The Cantonese teen eagerly returned the kiss as he finally gave in and wrapped his arms around the girl's waist. The two held each other so closely, making sure nothing separated them. Their holds tightened to the point they could feel the other's heart racing.

Just as Mei moved one of her hands to caress his cheek, a ring erupted from Xiang's pocket. Xiang's eyes snapped opened. The teen tried to escape Mei's grasp to get at his phone but Mei was unrelenting. She didn't care about anything else, only focusing on Xiang. Even though he wanted to continue kissing her, the phone was being a constant reminder that he had other duties to attend to.

After struggling to pry Mei's lips off of his, he managed to get his phone. Xiang pressed a finger against Mei's lips, signaling to her to give him a minute. Mei grudgingly pulled back and pouted as she waited. Why did the most inconvenient things continue to interrupt her time with Xiang?

"Hello," Xiang answered, his tone slightly annoyed.

"Xiang, this is Arthur. We need you to do a mission right away. We don't have much time."

"A mission? Now? Why?"

"Yes now! You usually don't even question these things…" he muttered. "Anyway, we're wasting precious time. We discovered a spy within the headquarters and he stole some highly incriminating evidence against the organization. We tried to capture him but he slipped from our grasp. The guy hacked our network and implanted a virus into the systems. Our people have to stay and take care of this or else we'll lose everything but we can't have that man escaping. Go and retrieve the information and kill him. I'll send you where he's heading but you have to hurry before he disappears."

Before Xiang could argue or protest, Arthur hung up on him. Xiang stared at his phone for a few seconds before sighing deeply. He turned to Mei and gave her an apologetic frown. "I have to go."

"I heard…" she said sadly. Xiang got up from the bed and moved to leave until he felt a soft hand holding his. He turned around and saw Mei's pleading eyes. "Don't go…"

"I don't want to but I have to."

"But it's dangerous," she tried to argue.

"It's not really," Xiang answered. "It carries its own risks but I can handle myself," he assured.

Mei only tightened her hold on his hand. She knew what risks these missions did carry. She trusted Xiang but she couldn't help but worry for him. She realized long ago that Xiang did dangerous things and that he was dangerous himself and even though she accepted all of those things, she just didn't want to lose him if something happened.

"Please don't go," she asked once again.

"I'm sorry, Mei." Xiang turned around and touched her hands with his free one. "I promise I'll be safe. And I promise I'll be back soon. Two maybe three hours top."

The look of honesty in his eyes made Mei soften her grip. "Okay."

Xiang gave her a smile and leaned in, giving a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back soon." Xiang quickly ran out of the room, looking back at Mei for only a second before he disappeared.

"… Be safe..."

* * *

><p>The night air was thankfully light and the sky clear of any weather. Xiang had taken his motorcycle out, only stopping for a few minutes to grab some weapons. He wanted to be quick so he grabbed a standard sword, two pistols and a few other things just as an extra precaution. As Xiang rode, he began to download the file Arthur had sent him. Within seconds his information came up.<p>

Xiang learned that the spy went by the name Jackson and that he was always a quiet person even in the organization. A picture appeared and Xiang tried to memorize his facial features. The man had dark brown hair and he had pasty white skin. His eyes were a murky brown color and the most defining feature of the man was the blob like birthmark on his neck.

Now that Xiang knew who he was looking for, it was a matter of finding him. Arthur had given him the most likely route Jackson would have taken to escape them. From what the map told him, he was heading toward an airplane factory. Most likely he had a private airplane in wait for him. Luckily for Xiang, the factory was relatively close to him being only a quarter hour away. And from where headquarters was, it would take Jackson at least half an hour to reach the factory even if he was speeding.

Not wanting to lose his prey, Xiang accelerated and his engine roared through the night. Just after a few more minutes of driving, Xiang pulled into the factory. To his fortune, there was only one entrance to the area and the guard was away. But it was far too easy for Xiang to enter so he assumed Jackson had paid off the guard earlier to make sure he had a quick entrance.

Xiang found a good place to hide his bike and he himself hid behind a nearby building. Now all he had to do was wait for him to come.

He didn't have to wait long as a taxi pulled up next to the entrance. A lone man stepped out into the clearing. From the moment Xiang laid his eyes on him, he knew instantly what the man was feeling. He was scared, tense and fidgeting like a rabid animal. He was obviously afraid of what he was dealing with. And why wouldn't he. He betrayed one of the most dangerous organizations in the world.

Jackson stumbled his way into the facility; each step shook his entire body but it was the only thing that was proof of his drive. As he further came into the area, Xiang quietly followed him, waiting for the right chance to take him out. As he trailed him, Xiang's foot suddenly ran into a metal pipe lying against the wall and created a crash. Jackson snapped his head around and sweated beads as he realized someone was around.

The man made a dead run for any building he could hid in. Xiang sighed to himself. Things just got a bit more difficult. Now that stealth wasn't a factor anymore, Xiang leaped out of the shadows and followed the man; running at least twice as face as the man.

Jackson slipped into the nearest building he could find, not daring to look back. He snuck around a wall and hid in the shadows of that the lightless building provided. As he waited, he didn't hear anything. No shadows from the moonlight and not even the slightest step.

Just as he was about to check the corner, a small sphere rolled into the building. Within seconds, the ball opened and a stream of smoke erupted from the spheres. The air was thick with the gray smoke and the sound of running came into the building. Jackson couldn't tell where the sound was coming from as footsteps echoed through the empty building.

The man couldn't stand being in the darkness any longer and rushed to find the light switch. He stumbled against the stone wall until he found a switch and the building lit up in white light. Even though he could see better, a gray smoke covered a large part of the building. But he could see a shadow shifting within the clouds of gray, moving at an unpredictable speed.

Jackson snapped into action and ran deeper into the building until he saw a door. He leaped for it and entered without any hesitation. He needed to get further away from the assassin. He tried running further down when he realized what kind of room he was in. A wind tunnel.

Jackson made a move to turn back when the door slammed open with a kick. The man halted his advance and Xiang slowly filled the room with the intent to kill as he entered. Jackson clutched the briefcase he held in his hands tighter against his chest as he cowered away.

Xiang sighed. "Why don't you give me the case and not waste both our times." Jackson was confused by Xiang's tone of voice. Even though it was Xiang's usual monotone, he could hear the slightest amount of annoyance and impatience.

"N-never."

Xiang closed his eyes in disappointment. "Have it your way."

The Asian whipped out a gun and shot. His aim was flawless as it ran through the air, forcing Jackson to his knees as pain shot through his leg. Jackson panted as he clutched onto his bleeding leg but all of a sudden, the pupils of his eyes narrowed and darkened. The man threw out his briefcase and took out a sub-machine gun. "I won't die here."

Xiang quickly dived toward the doorway, wasn't going to wait for him to shoot. Before he knew, the sound of dozens of bullets resounded across the tunnel but Xiang didn't see any of the bullets fly his way, at first. He took a moment to look over and saw that the recoil of the gun caused him to aim toward the ceiling. It was clear Jackson had no experience in handling a weapon.

The shooting stopped for only a moment as Jackson re-aimed his weapon towards Xiang and this time he knew what to expect. Just as the shots began to run through the air once more, Xiang just barely managed to dive under the range of the shots. But Xiang's eyes widened as he heard the sound of a switch go off.

One stray bullet hit the side of the wall and ricocheted into a button. The one used to activate the wind tunnel.

The fan began to turn, gradually spinning faster and faster. Within seconds, they spun at full strength and began to pull at the two in the tunnel. Jackson began to panic as his body was being dragged toward the fans. Xiang gritted his teeth, he could escape right now but his mission required him to retrieve the briefcase.

Xiang leaped to his feet and ran toward the fans, the pull increasing his speed. Jackson dug his fingers into the ground in a desperate attempt to keep himself from getting pulled into the spinning turbines. As Xiang ran toward him, he aimed his gun at Jackson and shot him straight in his hand.

Losing his grip, Jackson flew off the ground and straight toward the fans. Just as the briefcase began to lift off, Xiang lunged forward and stabbed the case into the ground and held himself at the same time. When Xiang finally stabilized himself, he heard the horrifying screams of Jackson as he neared the fans.

Xiang took a glance at the man and turned away just as he heard the sound of a body hitting the blades.

Not wanting to face the same fate, Xiang tightened his hold on the blade and aimed his gun for the button. The bullet landed right at the center of the switch and the fans began to slow. The Cantonese teen loosened his grip from the blade and stood up along with the case.

Xiang peered over his shoulders and saw the bloodied mess of Jackson's body splattered all over the fans. Pieces of him were lying here and there.

Without a word, Xiang left the building and turned off the lights. As he got closer to his motorcycle, a strange feeling welled up inside of him, a bit of remorse… for whoever had to clean the mess up.

* * *

><p>Mei leaned against the headboard of Xiang's room quietly as she nibbled on a strawberry, listening to her music player at the same time. The girl was obviously not going to just sit there and do nothing so a little earlier she went into the kitchen and found a batch of the sweet fruit.<p>

Mei wondered how she could be as carefree as she waited for him. Even though a part of her did worry for him, she knew she could trust him. Albeit she didn't agree with what he did for a living. As she brought another strawberry to her lips, the berry reminded her of Xiang in a way. Holding it between her lips, she got out another to look at it. Xiang liked the color red and the sweet tartness she got from the berry was like him; a bit overwhelming but always sweet.

"What are you doing?"

The girl almost choked on her strawberry as she had a spasm. "X-Xiang! Don't sneak up on me like that."

He chuckled. "I didn't. I said I was back but you were staring at this," he explained holding up the berry she tossed.

"Oh, I see." Mei lowered her head slightly as her cheeks turned to a light shade of pink. The awkward silence made Mei extremely nervous and when she looked up to see Xiang, he was staring at her face. "W-what?"

Xiang leaned in and held her close. "You have a bit of strawberry juice running from your lip to your chin." Mei looked at him strangely and moved to whip it but Xiang stopped her hand. "I got it." He leaned forward and slowly trailed his tongue from her chin to the corner of her lip.

A deep red blush appeared on Mei's face as Xiang licked off the strawberry. As his tongue ran up her chin, the oddest sensation welled up in her. "X-Xiang…"

The teen pulled back and gave her a deep stare. "Yes?" Xiang leaned in and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Slowly he brushed his lips against her soft skin.

"X-Xiang… wait… we need to talk…" she stammered.

"Would would that be?" he whispered.

"Your life." Xiang pulled back, a look of confusion in his eyes. "You know I can't but worry about you…"

"But I'm fine. I know what I'm doing, Mei. What I worry about is you."

Now it was Mei's turn to be confused. "What?"

"I mean I can't help remembering what happened during the trip. You could have been killed…"

"But I wasn't…"

"But you could have been. I'm just worried that I'm not going to be there every time. So I know I can protect myself but if I can't protect you, there's no point," he explained sadly.

"Then… how about you train me?"

Xiang took a moment to register what she said and he still didn't think he heard right. "What?"

"Train me," she repeated. "If you did that, I could defend myself."

Xiang closed his eyes and thought about it. He had never thought about it before but that would be one of the best solutions. If he could teach her even a few of his tricks, she would be able to survive more easily if anything ever happened. The only thing he would regret though is he was certain it wouldn't be easy at all. "Are you sure? I'm not exactly a teacher and it would be difficult. Very difficult."

"I'm sure, Xiang. I want to do this with you." A reluctant look appeared on the Cantonese boy's face and Mei could see why. "Don't worry. I'll be a good student and listen. Plus I learn quickly."

"Alright then. We'll start first thing tomorrow okay?"

Mei grinned brightly. "Okay! I promise you won't regret this."

Even though Xiang still felt concerned, he pushed the feeling aside. "Alright then."

The girl hugged him tightly. "Thanks. Now that that is settled, would you like to finish what we were doing before your mission?"

"What was that?"

Instead of answering, Mei leaned in closer to Xiang, closing her eyes at the same time. Xiang got the message and leaned in to meet her. The two neared each other's lips and felt the heat radiate from the other as the inches disappeared.

Before the two could kiss however, another phone began to ring, breaking their moment. Mei reached over to her purse and took out her phone, glaring at the caller. Her brother.

"Hello? Yeah it's me. I'm at Xiang's house. It isn't that late. But… okay… I'll be back soon then." Mei closed her phone and looked up sadly to Xiang. "That was Yao-ge… he wants me home since it's apparently late."

"Oh… I'll take you home then."

Xiang got off the bed and Mei followed swiftly. It was obvious that the two were upset that their time was cut short but both knew there was no use lounging over it. The two found their way to Xiang's car and wordlessly got in.

Despite the distance they had to reach Mei's house, it seemed like a very quick and short ride. In no time, Xiang was pulling up to the home's driveway. Xiang didn't want to part with Mei so soon so he walked her up to the front door, the night air nipping at their warmth.

The two stood parallel to each other as they waited in front of the door. Mei didn't want to open the door or knock on it. "So I'll see you in the morning?" she asked.

"Definitely," he assured.

Just as Xiang hesitantly moved to leave, Mei grabbed his arm and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Xiang was certainly surprised by the kiss but didn't mind in the least. Swiftly he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and kissing her back. Mei quietly smoothed one of her hands into his hair, feeling the softness. Taking a chance, Xiang slowly lowered one of his hands and brushed it against her bottom, making a small gasp escape from her.

The porch lights suddenly flashed on and the two broke their contact. The front door opened, revealing Mei's brother, and annoyed and anger stare. Mei shuffled her hands together, as a deep blush developed in her face.

"Aiyah, do you know how late it is? ~aru"

"I apologize for getting her home so late," Xiang answered.

"Ah, so you're Xiang. I would like to invite you in but I'm sure there will be plenty of time to question you later. ~aru"

"I understand. I'll be on my way now." Yao nodded and walked back into the house. Just as Mei moved to follow, Xiang hugged her from behind and in a soft whisper. "We can finish later." Mei's blush darkened and Xiang released her with a chuckle. The girl quickly ran into her home without a word.

As Mei reached her room, she took a moment to take a deep breath to calm her hammering heart. As she looked in one of her mirrors, she couldn't help but blush in the memory of what happened earlier and what she anticipated later.

* * *

><p>Mei let out a soft yawn as she did her stretches. It was only an hour ago that she got up and when Xiang came to get her for their promise of training. Xiang had her change into a plain white uniform, explaining that there would be least resistance this way. The girl didn't really mind since she had taken martial art classes before and was used to the outfit. Xiang had rented a private training center for her so he would be able to completely focus on her and so she wouldn't be distracted by anyone else.<p>

Xiang was pacing around, holding a small clipboard and scribbling down the rough course of her training. After a few more minutes, Xiang stood in front of Mei. "Alright then, shall we start?"

Mei nodded and stood strong for what would happen next. Xiang led her to a corner of the room where a dummy rested. "What am I supposed to be looking at?" Mei asked.

"Well since what I'm going to be teaching you is dangerous stuff, we'll use this dummy to practice on. I'll show you specific points to strike in order to disable, break or kill."

"Is the killing part really necessary?" she asked nervously.

"It's probably too dangerous to show you so it isn't necessary."

"That's a relief. I know I said I wanted to defend myself but I don't want to kill anyone."

"I never really thought about it," he commented. Xiang went over to the doll and began to mark points on it. "Okay, notice some of these upper parts that I've marked. Most of these should disable a person even if it's temporary. Those are the ones in black. The blue marks are weak points on a body. Those are easier to break than the rest of a person's body. Now what I want you to do is strike each point. Get used to the feeling and strike with strength. A weak blow won't do anything."

The Taiwanese girl took a moment to take in the information. After that moment, she readied a fighting stance that would work best with striking. Mei focused solely on the doll and lunged forward.

Xiang watched closely as Mei did as he instructed. He was in fact, surprised. Mei struck the doll with a vicious power but at the same time, it was elegant. All her moves flowed with one another, making sure no time was wasted in another attack. It was as if her assault was a dance. The fighting style fit her perfectly. Fearsome yet beautiful.

They continued the routine for another half hour until Xiang told her to stop, throwing a towel her way. The girl caught the cloth and began to soak up the sweat that she built up during the training. "That wasn't so bad," she commented.

"That was just the warm up."

Mei stared at him. "A warm up?"

"Yes a warm up. You'll be fighting me now."

"W-wait. Are you serious? I didn't know I'd be doing that." It wasn't because Mei was afraid of Xiang hurting her, though she was a bit afraid, it was because considering their type of training, and Mei could risk injuring him.

"Why did you think I put on a uniform too?"

"I thought it was because you didn't want me to feel left out!"

"Well that's certainly not the case. Now here's how this will work. We'll spare with each other. I want you to try and disable me in any way you can. Those points I showed you or whatever technique, just try and disable me."

"But what if I hurt you?"

"Don't worry, I'm used to injuries and to make sure we get the full effect from this training, I won't be going easy on you. If you fail and I end up pinning you, you'll undergo a few minor punishments."

"What if I actually do it? And what kind of punishment?" she asked nervously.

"If you do, then we're done. And let's just say it'll strengthen you in the long run and also a bit for my enjoyment too."

Mei was afraid to ask any further. She knew Xiang had a bit of a sadistic side to him but regardless she knew it wouldn't be anything too severe. "Alright then. Let's get this over with."

Xiang nodded and walked to the center of the room, where a small padded arena was set up. Mei followed and stood at the opposite side of him and quickly assumed a fighting stance. She knew she would have to give it everything she got. Xiang was certainly a deadly and formidable opponent. "Let's start!" he announced.

Both dashed off and ran straight for the other. Xiang wasn't planning on going easy on the girl. If he did, there would be no point in preparing her for the real dangers out there. Mei started out with a strong side kick which Xiang parried, knocking her off balance. The boy took advantage of the moment and got in close with a palm thrust. Mei cried out as she was sent flying back and landing on her butt.

"Ow…" she exclaimed, rubbing her stomach. The girl realized the fight was still underway and she rose to her feet just as Xiang readied another attack. He really wasn't going easy.

Xiang came closer to her but she threw out a punch just as he came within her range but the sly Asian slipped right under the punch and right behind her. Before she could turn around, Xiang grabbed her from behind.

Mei knew if she didn't do something quick, then he would have her pinned. Taking advantage of her petit figure, she slipped right through his hold and slammed her elbow into his stomach. Xiang staggered backwards, letting out a groan as he clutched his stomach.

The girl was strong; almost too strong for her appearance. Xiang opened his eyes and Mei was right in front of him. The girl grabbed his arm and flipped him onto his back with a loud thud. Before he could get up, Mei straddled him and pinned his arms to the ground.

"I did it!" she smiled.

Xiang was completely wide eyed as he stared up at her. He would have never expected her to move so quickly and strongly. Either way, he sighed in defeat and returned the smile. "Yeah you did."

"Thank goodness I didn't have to use any of those paralyzing moves."

"I'm sure you would have used them well."

"I guess. But either way, I did as you said. Even though if you were really going all out and I wasn't your opponent, you would have killed whoever it was with that first strike." Mei knew that to be true. Xiang couldn't go all out or risk injuring or killing her and she knew that he would never do such a thing.

"Yeah but you did it. So could you let me up now?"

Mei considered it for a moment. "Hm… I don't think I will. I want my prize."

"Prize? What prize?"

"You of course."

Before Xiang could protest, Mei leaned down and pressed her lips against his. It was a bit obvious that she was eager to do this ever since last night and even more so now since they were constantly interrupted before. Gradually, she ran her hands down his arms and toward his chest until she could rest them against the front of his shoulders.

Xiang kissed the girl back and responded with wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. In retrospect, she was lucky she actually completed the training or else he'd give her a serious scolding about this. Later of course.

The Cantonese teen leisurely held her tighter against himself. Just then, Xiang realized that they were both wearing relatively thin clothing and he could feel the heat emitting from her hot skin. When Mei broke the kiss for air, he rolled the both of them to their sides to get her attention.

"Mei… we should do this somewhere else."

"O-oh, right," she blushed.

"Okay, I'll change and meet you in at the entrance of the building."

Mei nodded and got to her feet. After smoothing out her clothes, she ran to the girls' changing room and did her business. Xiang went to his respective room and changed quickly and walked to the front entrance. He didn't have to wait long as Mei came scurrying over to him with her bag in tow.

"Ready?"

"Yep," Mei answered. "Let's get going."

Xiang took Mei's hand and lead her out of the building. But they didn't get far.

The two stopped as a lone man stood a few meters ahead of them. The man was sporting a fitting brown outfit of pants and a jacket. But that wasn't the strangest thing about him, not at all. He was wearing some kind of veal that covered his entire head.

Xiang quickly stood in front of Mei. In spite of the guy's calm demeanor, he screamed dangerous. "Who are you?" Xiang demanded.

Instead of answering, the man removed a piece of paper from his pocket and looked at it then at Xiang. "… The infamous assassin, Xiang…" The man crumpled up the paper and shoved it back into his pocket. "I'm here for your head."

"Mei run!"

Just as Xiang screamed the order, the man removed a gun and began to fire at the two. Xiang cursed under his breath and tossed his keys to his girlfriend and ran straight toward the man. Mei responded quickly and took the keys, running toward the car at the same time.

The bullets whizzed right by Xiang as he ran toward him. Xiang wasn't going to let Mei get hurt and it was clear the man wanted him. Xiang narrowly ducked under the bullets and right into fighting range of the man. But before he knew it, the man swapped out the gun for two knifes.

The man lunged forward with the knives in hand. Xiang barely managed to jump back from the assault but now he was on the defensive. The man was relentless in his onslaught. Xiang knew that the first strike would affect the entire fight.

Xiang didn't realize as he retreated, that he ran out of room to run. His back was up against the cold stone of the building. The man charged and held both blades ready to stab. Xiang reacted quickly and ducked, letting one blade sink into the wall and Xiang caught the other arm's wrist. Before the man could do anything, Xiang brought his knee up and pounded it into the man's gut, knocking his breath out. Xiang tackled the man, making him drop his blades. Since was so close up, one of his hands ruffled through his coat and found a small wallet.

The man shoved Xiang back and took out his gun, now having Xiang at point blank. "You're finished."

Just as the man began to pull at the trigger, the sound of wheels screeching against the road pierced both of their ears. A jet black car came rolling around the corner at a fast speed and straight at the two. The man not wanting to get hit quickly ran out of the way. The car spun around and the side door opened, revealing Mei at the driver's seat.

"Get in!" she shouted.

Xiang didn't even respond as he jumped into the car and closed the door. "Drive!"

Mei stepped on the gas and the engine roared onto the streets. The man stood up and eyed the car driving away. Quickly he went onto the street and hopped onto a motorcycle, the engine already running as he raced after the two.

"Who is that guy?" Mei's hands were shaking as she drove. The girl wasn't exactly the perfect driver but now wasn't the time to be worrying about that.

"Hold on." Xiang began to rummage through the wallet until he found an ID. "Gupta Hassan… he's a bounty hunter."

"Since when was there a bounty on you?"

"It was from long ago but after I… umm made a reputation, people were too afraid to go after me. This guy must really think he can do something."

Mei had half a mind to hammer Xiang with questions until the sound of gunfire broke her train of thought. "What the…!"

Xiang glanced out the mirror and saw Gupta tailing them on his motorcycle, firing at them at the same time. "It's him. Keep driving, I'll take care of this." Xiang opened the glove department and pulled out a machine pistol. Making sure it was loaded; Xiang stuck his arm out the window and began to fire back at the hunter.

Even though Xiang was fired back, he knew he didn't have much of an aim. Just then, the sound of a tire bursting caught their attention. Xiang cursed, "Mei, do you know if we're close to anywhere?"

"I… I think we're close to a crematory."

"We'll have to hide there. We're losing speed."

Mei nodded and as they neared the complex, she pulled into a parking. The both of them got out quickly and ran into the building. Xiang for a moment wished he carried more weapons with him but he didn't carry his arsenal around with him.

Gupta stopped right in front of the car and removed himself from the motorcycle, staring at the building in front of him. The man loaded his gun and made sure a couple of knifes were at hand as he walked up to the entrance of the building. The moment he entered the place, his guard went up and his hunting instincts came to effect.

As he walked closer to the main desk, he noticed that almost everything was off. They must've been closed today. That was good. Less witnesses that way.

The building wasn't too large but it would take him time to cover the entire place. Gupta knew the likely movements of the two because Xiang was an assassin. Most assassins's had predictable basic movements. A few things they would never do would be hiding in a secluded area; that would prevent them from maneuvering. Another is they would stick close to the shadows and be silent. They weren't reckless.

Based on those things he knew, he could eliminate certain areas where they could be hiding. Slowly, Gupta made his way throughout the building, making sure to catch any sudden sounds. If he did, he would be on the trail like a bloodhound.

As if his wish was granted, he heard the distinct sound of running feet. Gupta quickly changed his direction and ran after the echoes of the running. Soon enough, he entered a moderately sized room with several cremators at the other side of the room.

Cautiously, he walked forward, occasionally turning to see if he missed anything. Suddenly the crash of a pipe made him turn around and look over. The only thing he saw was a rolling pipe. Just then a sharp spiking pain flared in the back of his head, making him stagger forward.

A hand flew to the back of his head, clutching it from the pain. Gupta turned around was astonished to see Xiang, holding a long wrench. The pipe was only a decoy.

Xiang didn't wait for Gupta to recover and lunged at him with the wrench in hand and swung. The man was still disoriented, making it easy for Xiang to slam the tool into his arm. A sickening crunch was heard as Gupta fell to the floor.

The man growled and pulled out and gun and began to shoot at Xiang. Xiang reacted quickly and dived to the ground to dodge the bullets. Gupta got back onto his feet and continued to fire at Xiang. The Asian rolled out of the shots until he crashed into some crates.

Xiang cursed as he sat up. This wasn't a good plan at all but he didn't have any other choice. Xiang and Mei came to this room in a hurry and chose separate hiding places. Earlier, Gupta was nearing Mei's spot and Xiang knew he wouldn't have spared her. So he lunged out and fought and now he was stuck in this situation.

Gupta walked slowly toward Xiang, his left arm dangling as his other held the gun. "Now it's over."

Just as the man prepared to pull the trigger, a leg came out from nowhere and slammed into Gupta, knocking him off balance. Xiang stared as Mei appeared and began to assault Gupta with a barrage of strikes. He noticed the style and flow; it was the very same movement from this morning. She was hitting almost every single paralyzing point on Gupta's body until the man couldn't even lift a finger anymore.

Xiang leaped to his feet and crashed into Gupta was a kick. The man flew into the front of a cremator and Xiang ran over quickly. Xiang unlatched the metal door and threw Gupta's body into the machine. Since the man's body was disabled, he didn't resist at all but he was still wide awake. Xiang closed the door and locked it and switched on the machine.

Within minutes, the cremator's fire began to roar and the temperature quickly rose inside of the casket. Xiang went over to a panting Mei and covered her ears. She looked at him worried but that was fine. It was better than what he could hear right now.

Xiang could hear the bone rattling scream from within the cremator. Xiang could only imagine the scorching fire that was lit inside as Gupta's live body was eroded into ash. After a few more minutes, the screams came to an abrupt halt and Xiang removed his hands from Mei's ears and instead held her close.

"It's over…" Xiang exclaimed.

Mei returned the hug. "Yeah… I was so scared for you."

"For me? I was worried about you."

"Well yeah you. You almost got killed there."

"If it was to protect you then I'd do it again. But ignoring that, you were amazing when you fought."

"It was nothing."

"It was amazing, Mei." Mei smiled and began to follow Xiang out of the building. Xiang took a moment to relock the building. "I never would have expected you to learn so fast and perform so well in such a short time span."

When he turned around, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I have an amazing teacher to thank for that."

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia<strong>

**A/n: I finally updated this! I apologize so much for being so late on this update. There's a reasonable explanation for it and a few are college preparation and some interesting books I'm really addicted to. Okay well to explain the chapter, a another reason I took so long is because not many significant things happen besides the date and training. Anyway, the next chapter shall be very suspenseful and... tragic. And a certain someone will be making his evil return so expect that. Thank you so much to my dear readers and reviewers. Your reviews really make me happy and keep me going. Until the next update, see you later and happy reading :D**


	13. Chapter 13: Terror Stricken Family

_The greatest gifts are said to be life itself but when times arrive and situations arise, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice is made; but from their destruction, new lift is made or even strengthened._

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 13:**_

_**Terror-Stricken Family**_

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Leaning his back against the wall, Xiang maintained a relax composure as the school day ended. This however was just a front. Inside, he was nervous. More nervous than he ever been before, excluding Mei of course. This nervousness was in fact indirectly her fault.

Earlier in the week, Mei suddenly came to Xiang and told him that her brother wanted to meet him. So the news that they were together wasn't much of a secret anymore, as much as Xiang wanted it to be kept concealed. But aside from that point, Yao wanted to meet him. And like any older brother, he was protective. Very protective over his little sister.

In truth, Xiang respected the man for protecting her but he was frightening at the same time. If he didn't approve of him, there was no telling what was in store for him and Mei.

Mei could instantly tell what was worrying her boyfriend and reassured him that there wasn't anything to worry about. Obviously, it didn't help much.

Now Xiang was waiting at the front of the school next to his car. Mei always took a bit of extra time to get over, using that time to ask teachers questions and etc. After a few more minutes of waiting, Mei came running over to him with that bright smile she always carried.

The girl went up to him and gave him a hug and a kiss to the cheek. "Sorry I'm late. I was correcting a teacher on a few tests."

"It's not a problem. Well, shall we then?"

Mei nodded and went over to the car. As she looked at the car, she was a bit surprised not to see any bullet holes or dents from their incident last weekend. She was impressed with how well Xiang made the car. It was fast and incredibly durable. Perfect for what he had to do.

Xiang began to drive off to Mei's house, figuring that it was going to be his first time actually entering the home. In an attempt to lessen his tension, he thought about the week. "So… how's your body handling?"

"Well I'm a bit sore from all the training but I'm good. It's like daily exercise to the extreme." Mei didn't mind how strenuous the training was; she could handle it. And Xiang took great care in the routine he made her. One day they'd be working on technique and strength and every other day, they'd work on stamina. As a result, Mei felt stronger than she ever had before.

"I'm glad you're well," he commented with a smile.

"I never worry too much. I know I can trust you."

The timing came perfectly; with the end of their conversation, the two finally arrived at the home. Xiang let out a deep sigh as he got out of the car. He didn't expect anything good to come from this visit. Mei saw the discomfort in his face and went over to hold his hand, letting him know she was there to support him.

Mei led him to the front door and opened the door. The smell of delicious cooking came into their senses and knew instantly that it was Yao's doing. Xiang seemed to be a bit stiff so Mei had to pull him into the house.

"Yao-ge!" she shouted. "I'm home! And Xiang's here too."

The sound of cooking suddenly came to a halt and Yao walked into the living room, still wearing an apron. "Welcome home ~aru" Yao waltz over to the couple and eyed Xiang for a moment before turning around. "Well go rest up. Dinner will be ready soon and Mei, make sure Xiang is cleaned up for when our guests arrive."

"Alright. Let's go Xiang." Mei made a run up the stairs and Xiang followed in suit.

As they walked in the hallway, Xiang asked, "Guests?" Xiang thought that it would be a dinner of just the three.

"Oh yeah. I forgot to mention, Yao-ge has a boyfriend now. They apparently met right after we left for that cruise trip. I only met the guy once and he kind of creeps me out. Don't worry about him too much."

"Oh okay." Well this did have the potential to work out for Xiang. If the man was kind, he could probably help Xiang out in Yao's eyes.

Mei stopped at the end of the hallway and opened a door that had a stream of plum blossoms painted on the door along with a few music notes here and there. "Welcome to my room."

Xiang eagerly stepped into the room and immediately found the scent of fresh flowers occupying his smell. The room was brightly lit by the light shining through the glass doors. The sliding doors opened up to a small balcony that had a couple of flower pots sitting on the ledges and ground. At a corner of the room, a queen sized bed rested along with pink bed covers neatly folded over the bed. Two fluffy white pillows rested at the top of the bed. Next to the bed was a dresser. At the other end of the room was a large desk filled with binders, papers and books but it was all organized. Right next to the bed was a door that led to a private bathroom. And the final addition to the room was the small keyboard piano that sat at the last corner of the room, right next to the glass.

The room was simple but it held everything that represented Mei's personality and interests. He loved it. "Your room is beautiful."

Mei smiled with pride. "Thanks. I decorated it myself."Mei went over to her bed and plopped onto the soft mattress, patting a spot next to her for Xiang.

Xiang went over and sat down. "That explains why it's so beautiful."

Mei smiled brightly. "You flatter me too much, but I like it."

"So what should we do till Yao tells us to come down?"

"Hm… Want to hear my new piece?" Mei asked, glancing over to her small piano.

"I'd love to."

Mei smiled and went over to her piano and sat down. After taking a deep breath, she began to play. Xiang expected an explosion of a passionate melody but instead, the song began light. Each note and sequence was soft but all flowed beautifully. The sweet song was inspiring but at the same time, it relaxed Xiang; an innocent and calming tone.

Mei came to an abrupt halt and turned around. "Sorry… I'm not done with it," she said sheepishly.

Xiang smiled and went over to sit next to her. He reached out and held one of her hands. "Here, let me help you finish then."

Mei blushed slightly and nodded in response. She watched quietly as Xiang led her hands across the key board. It surprised her; Xiang was continuing the song, albeit slowly, it matched the rest of the song well.

Mei then remembered she should record it and began to write down the notes with her free hand. Xiang noticed and began to slow his movements with her hand so Mei could keep up with the recording. After a few minutes passed, the two finished and Mei smiled.

"That was lovely."

"I just went off from what you started with."

Mei shook her head. "No, somehow you always know how to respond to my music. As if-"

"I was your other half?" he finished.

Mei blushed but nodded. "You're like a mind-reader."

Xiang took her chin in his other hand and turned her head toward himself. "Then if I'm a mind-reader for you, what am I thinking of?"

Mei could see the answer in his eyes but more than anything else, she knew. "M-me?"

Xiang answered her with a kiss. Mei wasn't surprised by the action but she eagerly returned the kiss. The kiss wasn't as deep as she expected but it seemed as though their contact was lasting for an eternity.

Suddenly, the room door burst open. "Hey you two, dinner is read- What are you two doing!"

Xiang and Mei quickly broke of their kiss and turned to see Yao glaring at them but more anger was directed at Xiang. The two of them had no explanation but it was a bit obvious as to what they were doing.

Yao closed his eyes and placed his hand against his face in frustration. "Aiyah… Anyway, our guests are downstairs and dinner is being served soon."

Yao went of the room, cursing in a hushed tone. Mei looked over to Xiang and gave him an apologetic smile. "Don't worry about Yao-ge. He'll get over it."

"I'll trust you on that because I can't tell myself. He looked really mad."

"He just can't stand the idea of his litter sister being with someone. Protective as always you know. Well we better head down before he gets mad again."

"Alright."

The two stood up and made their way downstairs. The two entered the dining room and saw the plates already set out. Mei looked around and glanced into the kitchen. "I'll go help Yao-ge. You can say hello to the guests. I think they're in the living room."

Xiang nodded and gave a quick kiss to her cheek before he walked toward the living room. Something was wrong. He knew that from the moment he stepped into the room. Xiang's instincts kicked off and he was alert to even the slightest movement and sound.

Slowly he heard footsteps coming out from the hallway and Xiang saw what threw him off. It was a cold blast from the past. That body, that face, that scarf, that cold laugh. Ivan Braginski.

Xiang could tell that he was surprised to see Xiang there. But regardless, he still held that smile. "Well this is certainly a surprise. I never thought we'd meet face to face again."

Xiang said nothing. He was far too shocked and he felt defenseless. Usually Xiang was armed for any situation but this was Mei's home. He never thought it'd be needed. And he knew he needed something. Xiang could see out of the corner of Ivan's figure was his sister. Natalia. The girl was a fearsome opponent to be sure. And apparently she followed Ivan everywhere. Like his shadow.

Xiang could see a sudden flash of metal. The girl had weapons on her. And from the look of her eyes, it seemed as though she was itching for revenge.

"What are you guys doing standing around? ~aru" Xiang turned around and saw Yao and Mei carrying plates of food. Their appearance saved him. But there was no way he was out of danger. Rather, now that he knew who they were, things got even more dangerous than ever.

"Nothing my little Jao. We were just about to talk but now that dinner is ready, we can go eat."

"Oh alright then ~aru"

Xiang quickly retreated into the dining room and sat down next to Mei. Luckily, the table was somewhat large so Xiang made sure to stay far, far away from where Ivan and Natalia sat. Everyone began to fill their plates with food. Xiang began to eat but he didn't lift his eyes away from the two for even a second.

Ivan and Yao began to talk about useless drabble and simple comments and Yao seemed completely oblivious as to the tension in the room. Much less the bloodlust.

But even though Yao was oblivious, Mei wasn't. She could see something wrong with Xiang. She quietly nudged him to catch his attention and then began to whisper to him. "You okay? You seem a bit tense."

He turned his head to see her and gave a fake smile which she read in an instant. "I'm fine. I'll explain later."

Mei wanted to pry for more information but she knew something serious was bothering Xiang. And he did promise to explain later so she would keep her mouth shut until then.

As dinner continued, Yao seemed to direct his attention to Xiang. Now the teen felt even more stressed because he knew the questions would start. "So Xiang," Yao began. "You and Mei are dating?"

"Yes," he answered simply.

"How are your grades?"

"I believe they're good. I've never gotten anything under an A." Xiang knew Yao was just asking the basic things first off to tell if he was intelligent and a good candidate for Mei. It was just getting started though.

The simple questions continued to roll by such as what other activities he did at school and now it came to his lifestyle and hobbies. The first few were about music, seeing as Mei must have mentioned he was a violinist.

But without any notice, Ivan got into the questioning. "So do you have a job outside of school, Xiang?"

_So he was going to play that game? _Xiang thought. "I do miscellaneous tasks for a private company."

"Such as…?"

"Meeting with some people and some persuasion. Nothing big." Suddenly a thought came to mind. And a plan formed quickly after. He would definitely explain this later to Mei. "So what do you do for living, Mr. Braginski? I've heard of your name before."

Ivan seemed a bit startled by the question. "Business. I happen to run one of the top companies in the entire country."

"Yes, Ivan is very accomplished ~aru" Yao added.

"Is that so? Because I've heard of _other _things that you do."

"What other things? ~aru"

Before Ivan could answer, his phone suddenly went off and he checked it. "I'm sorry, but I must make my leave. Business calls."

Ivan stood up and gave a kiss to Yao's cheek. The Chinese man blushed at the act and got up to lead him out. The trio, including Natalia, walked out of the room, lifting the tension somewhat. As he heard the door close, Xiang exhaled a sigh.

The Cantonese teen stood up. "I should go too."

Mei looked at him disappointed. "Why?"

"I'll be back later, promise." He gave Mei a quick hug and exited the house. He really didn't want to leave like this but he needed to get some things.

Mei watched Xiang leave the house and she was so confused. What was that entire situation about? She wanted to know but trusted Xiang to tell her what needed to be told. So instead of wallowing over it, she cleaned up the table and went up to her room.

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><p>The next few hours felt like they lasted longer than usual. Mei did her usual nightly routine of finishing her homework. Earlier, Yao had appeared to confirm that Xiang had left but to her surprise, Yao had commented that he liked the boy. It was the impression that he left that he was smart, strong and cared about Mei. But to Mei's disappointment, he would never admit that to Xiang.<p>

Aside from Yao, Mei worked on that music piece from earlier. Smoothing out the pace and perfecting it. After she was sure it sounded wonderful, she took a few minutes to water her plants. As she watered them, she noticed how clear the night skies were; although not clear enough for stars to show up. Mei touched her forehead and noted that it was a warm night.

Finishing the watering, the girl went inside and got her nightwear, heading into the shower at the same time. Mei felt the running water and made sure it was the right temperature. Assuring herself that it was good, she stepped into the streaming water and allowed the heat to relax her muscles. As she stood in the shower, random thoughts began to wander in her mind and a fresh memory emerged.

Mei remembered when Xiang and she finished that song. Xiang was almost too perfect and she considered herself so lucky to know him and be with him. But the idea of him always having to do dangerous tasks worried her. She was afraid one day he might go out and never come back.

Mei shook her head. She shouldn't fear those things just because she suspects them to happen. Trying to reassure herself, she told herself, Xiang would always be there for her. The girl pulled on a small smile and stepped out of the shower.

After drying her body and wrapped a towel around her hair, she slipped on her night gown. The gown was somewhat short and Mei picked it specifically because of the warm night. Mei continued to dry her hair as she stepped out of the room, letting the steam out of her bathroom. But something was different in her room. And that was Xiang lying on her bed.

Xiang turned his head and eyed Mei for a moment. Obviously he noticed how little the gown covered. Mei blushed instantly. "X-Xiang!" She jumped back into the bathroom and pulled on a robe to cover herself. She then rushed out, her face still flushed. "W-what are you doing here?"

Xiang closed his eyes and turned it toward the ceiling. "You know, you should lock those doors to the balcony."

"W-what? But… I'm this is the second floor and there's no way to climb that."

"I did, didn't I? A grappling hook is really useful."

Mei sighed in frustration. "Okay, I get it but what are you doing here? You scared me." The girl walked over and sat down on the large bed.

Now that she got a better look at Xiang, she noticed that he looked bulkier. That wasn't the only thing; she noticed a sword lying in the corner of the room. Xiang came prepared to fight.

"I think first thing I have to do is explain. You know, from earlier?"

"Oh yeah, what was that about?"

"You see, Ivan isn't a normal business man. He may be one of the most dangerous actually. He is the owner of his namesake corporation but they do other things. They deal in the black market and he's well known in the underworld. And even there, people are afraid of him."

"Oh my god… I can't believe this…"

"It's true. In fact, the night I first met you, before that, I was trying to kill him. He's incredibly crafty and dangerous, Mei. So that brings me to explain why I'm here. There's no way I'm leaving you alone in this house with him dating your brother. Especially now that he knows who I am. He could do things to you."

"But what about Yao-ge? He has no idea…"

"I got a plan for that too. It seems Ivan is infatuated with your brother. Now we need to break them up. We'll have to handle this with care though, if it's too intense of a breakup, things could get dangerous. If things go our way though, he'll leave and leave you guys alone."

"Okay… if we can show how cruel he is, maybe Yao-ge will see it and break up with him."

"That's our only chance then. If we reveal what he does, that might put you guys in danger."

"Alright, we'll find out something later. It's been such a long day and I need sleep."

"Alright, you sleep. I'll keep watch." Xiang got off the bed and leaned against a wall.

Mei tucked herself under the covers and looked over at Xiang. "Won't you get tired?"

"I don't need sleep. Protecting you is more important."

Mei didn't want Xiang to pull an all nighter, especially by himself. Xiang glanced over to the girl and noticed she was awake, tired but awake. "You're not going to sleep unless I do too huh?" Xiang asked.

Mei nodded. "Why don't you… sleep with me?" she asked nervously. "You can protect me since your close and sleep too."

Xiang considered the offer. It was well thought out but his only problem was lying with Mei. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable. When he was about to decline, he saw the look in her eyes. Her pleading eyes demanded it. Xiang sighed in defeat. "Alright."

Mei began to smile, that is until Xiang started to remove his clothes. "W-what are you doing!" she demanded, a strong blush forming over her face.

"Hm? Well I'm not going to be able to sleep with all these weapons in my jacket and these pants are uncomfortable to sleep in."

"O-okay…" Mei averted her eyes as she heard the sound of Xiang's clothes falling to the ground. The lights turned off and Mei felt the bed shift as Xiang climbed in.

The two were somewhat close to each other at the center of the bed. Mei felt herself heating up intensely. Xiang didn't know what he should exactly do but he made the mistake of being too close to Mei. Her scent hit him without any hesitation and it wasn't the normal smell he was used to. It seemed intensified and fresh. He suspected it was because of the shower.

Xiang could feel something well up inside of him and he quickly turned away from her, making his back face her. He tried scooting away until Mei followed him. She didn't know why but she wanted to be close to Xiang.

"Why are you moving?" she asked.

Xiang quickly made an excuse. "I just… don't want you overheating. You know, if I'm in here with you, it'll get too hot."

"Oh…" Xiang felt Mei move away from him and he sighed in relief. That is until he heard the sound of a robe dropping to the ground. Xiang instantly tensed up after hearing that and even more so as he felt two arms wrap around his back. "Better?" she asked.

"M-Mei… you should move away…"

"Why? It's not that hot anymore and you can protect me more easily if we're close."

Mei held Xiang tighter but by doing that, she was pressing herself more closely to him. Xiang could feel his control slipping away as he could feel Mei's entire front through the thin clothing. "M-Mei… please…"

"What's wrong?" Mei got worried and forced Xiang to turn around and look at her. But through the dim lighting of the room, she could see why. Xiang's eyes looked hungry… for her. "X-Xiang…?"

Before she knew it, Xiang had his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, pulling her body against him and kissing her deeply. Mei was wide eyed when she realized this but quickly succumbed to it, eagerly kissing him back. She felt closer to him than ever before but his skill was overwhelming her.

The ferocity of his kiss was making her mind cloudy and something within her told her that this was just a beginning. But that feeling was ignored completely right now. Right now, nothing else mattered to her except the one in front of her, Xiang.

Mei didn't know how long they were kissing and she lost count at the different ways he moved his lips against hers. Then something changed. As their lips were locked to each other once again, his tongue brushed her against her bottom lip, making her gasp in surprise. Xiang took the opportunity and darted his tongue into her mouth, exploring it. He didn't waste any time or movement as he did so.

Mei was stunned. She didn't what was happening but tried to mimic Xiang's actions by diving into his mouth. The two continued to kiss this way, Mei letting out a soft moan as they went on. The only thing that broke her train of thought though was Xiang's hands. Instead of the resting place of her bottom back, they began to move, caressing her back and moving lower. At first one brushed against her rear and moved past to touch her thighs. Xiang could feel the hot skin of her body and rubbed against the creamy skin slowly.

Mei's body liked the sensation that was brought out from the contact but something in her snapped and her hands went to his shoulders and she tried to put some distance between them. In the moment they broke their kiss for air, Mei needed to get his attention. "X-Xiang…" she breathed. "S-stop…"

He pulled back slightly, a look of confusion on his face. "Mei?"

Mei took a moment to catch her breath and gather her thoughts from the dizziness of their making out. "P-please stop…" she repeated.

"Why?" he asked, still confused.

"I love you but… I'm not ready for that… I'm just not ready…"

Mei lowered her head, somewhat ashamed and nervous. She didn't know why she said that or asked him to stop but somewhere in her she knew she wasn't ready for it yet. As the silence in the room continued, she became even more nervous. Wondering what Xiang felt and what he would say.

To Mei's surprise, she found Xiang's hand gently stroking the back of her head in a comforting manner. Mei looked up to see Xiang's face and saw there wasn't any disappointment, confusion or frustration. He looked at her calmly and more than anything else, lovingly.

"Its fine you know…" he said.

"Really?" she asked nervously.

"Of course. I respect you far too much to do anything that you don't want to do. I'm not in any rush and I'm not going anywhere. Whenever you feel like doing something, I'll be here and if you don't ever want to, I'm fine with just being with you. I love you, Mei."

Mei held him tighter, trying to keep herself from crying. "Xiang…" Mei leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss. "I love you too."

Xiang smiled and buried his face in her hair; likewise, Mei buried her face in his chest. Both closed their eyes and felt themselves drifting off. Just before either of them fell asleep, they both whispered to the other, wishing a good night's sleep.

* * *

><p>The morning sun shined brightly through the glass doors, illuminating the once dark room of the night. In the midst of the room, Xiang and Mei were sleeping quietly in each other's arms, the only sound in the room, their soft breathing. Mei felt the familiar warmth of the sun and slowly began to open her eyes.<p>

She blinked a few times to get used to the bright light and she realized, Xiang was still right next to her, tightly pressed up against her as he slept quietly. The girl blushed as she tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp. After some carefully planned maneuvers, Mei was free. Mei rubbed her eyes of her sleepiness and yawned as she went into her bathroom.

The girl began her morning routine of brushing her teeth and making sure she was presentable. Mei was usually an early person since she liked to have more than enough time to do whatever work she needed to do. Although she didn't appreciate waking up so early sometimes.

Mei walked out of her bathroom, finishing dressing in her normal outfit and to her surprise, Xiang was still sound asleep. She went over to the side of the bed and leaned over to see his face. It seemed so innocent and nothing like his usual appearance of stoic and dark. Curiously, Mei moved one of her hands toward him and began to poke at his cheek.

"Hm… squishy," she commented, with a smile on her face.

"Having fun there?"

Mei abruptly pulled her hand back. "Oh sorry, didn't know you were awake."

"I am now, aren't I?"

Xiang sat up from the bed and Mei couldn't help but stare at his bare chest. The girl blushed as she saw the smooth outlining of his refined muscles. "Um let me get your clothes."

Mei went over to grab his clothes from the floor and when she turned around, Xiang was out of bed. Mei felt light headed as she saw him only in his boxers. Before she lost it, she quickly tossed the clothes to him and turned around.

Xiang slipped on his clothes and patted Mei on the shoulder. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah… just not used to… seeing you like that…"

Xiang chuckled and hugged her. "You'll get used to it."

"I guess so."

"Well now that the night is over, we need to get down to business."

"Right, so how is this going to work?"

"For now… I have to report seeing Ivan but in the mean time, I want you to try and convince Yao to not date him."

"Oh alright then. Good luck with your part."

"You too and remember to be discrete." Xiang leaned forward and gave Mei a soft kiss and then moved to grab his sword.

Before Mei knew it, Xiang leaped off the balcony which at first freaked her out but she saw the grappling hook and was able to breathe easy. When she leaned over to see Xiang, the grappling hook was already dislodged and he was nowhere to be seen. Mei knew Xiang moved fast but that was just astonishing.

Mei made her way downstairs and the fresh scent of breakfast made her stomach growl. She went into the kitchen and saw her brother making the meal for her. And luckily for her, it was pork buns.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Good morning ~aru. Did you sleep well?" Yao asked as he placed a plate of buns in front of his sister.

"Very well." Mei took one of the steamed foods and began to eat it, savoring the taste.

"That's good ~aru" Yao made his way over to the other pans and began to clean them.

As Mei continued to eat, she tried to figure out a way to drop out the information to Yao but she really didn't know how. But she guessed getting to know some basics wouldn't hurt. "So Yao-ge, I have some questions I want to ask you."

"What might that be? ~aru"

"It's just… I don't really understand why you're with Ivan."

Yao abruptly dropped the pans into the sink with a loud clang. He turned around quickly and stared at Mei. "W-why would you ask that? ~aru" he asked nervously.

"Well it just seemed a bit random that you two got together. I never heard of the guy until two weeks ago and don't really know much about him." Mei was using her ignorance of Ivan to her advantage. All her responses were honest but she had a mission to do and she knew how to get to the end of it.

"I guess you do deserve some answers ~aru. It started about two days after you left and when I was working at the restaurant, he showed up and ordered the food like a big shot. He was being really rude to my servers so I had to go out to see what was wrong. The moment I came out, his attitude changed and he was being polite. And to apologize, he asked me out to dinner."

"From there, it hit off," he continued. "He made an interesting first impression so I wanted to get to know him more. And then it's just progressed to this level I guess. You can't expect too much from just a month."

"But has he told you any details to what he does or who he is? You might be in over your head with this."

"Well he hasn't but what makes you say or ask such things ~aru. It's a bit rude."

"I just don't want you getting hurt for not knowing anything, Yao-ge."

Yao took a moment to just consider what she just said. Before Yao could respond, the door bell suddenly went off and Mei broke away from the table to see who it was. She prayed it wasn't Ivan.

When she opened the door, her relief came instantly when she saw her best friend on the front door. "Yue."

"Hey Mei," she greeted. "I know I came unannounced but I thought we could spend a bit of time together you know. We haven't gotten much since you've been dating Xiang."

Mei looked at her friend and then back into the kitchen at Yao. She looked at it reluctantly but she didn't want to disappoint her best friend. Mei was afraid to choose either.

Yao stepped into the room and saw the conflict on Mei's face. "Go on Mei. Have fun with Yue," he urged.

Mei nodded slightly and went out with Yue, closing the door behind them with a soft whisper.

Yao sighed deeply and fell into the cushions of the couch. He thought about what Mei said. What did he know about Ivan? For all he knew, it could all be an act. Yao turned his head to the side and stared at the home phone. After a long moment, he reached out and dialed a number.

He waited and waited for the ringing to stop. With a click, it was answered. "Hello?"

"Ivan? We need to talk ~aru"

* * *

><p>Yue didn't need to look directly at Mei to know something was wrong. The girl wasn't smiling like she usually did and wasn't as talkative as she usually did. But Yue knew how Mei worked. If it was something minor, she would talk about it. And if it wasn't, she'd be stubborn and keep it to herself until Yue pried it out like a responsible and caring friend would do.<p>

The two soon came into their favorite café. The little shop was well known for their wide variety of exotic drinks but the specific reason why Yue chose this place was because it held Mei's favorite drink. Bubble Tea.

As Yue ordered their usual drinks, she hoped the drink would help Mei loosen up and be a bit more open about the problem plaguing her mind. Yue brought the drinks over to where Mei was sitting down and pushed the tea over to her.

Mei's eyes brightened slightly as she took it and sipped the drink. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"No problem." Yue took her own time to enjoy her own beverage and waited for Mei to be satisfied filling her belly with hers.

After a few minutes passed, Mei stopped and now was leisurely drinking it. "You feeling better now?" Yue asked.

"Yeah… how did you know—"

"Something was bothering you?" she finished. "It's all over your face Mei. And I know you better than anyone else."

"Is it really that obvious…?" she asked nervously.

"You look stressed, worried, and nervous so yeah, it's a bit obvious."

"Oh… well you don't need to worry about it. I'm fine."

"No you're not. If it was simple, we'd be done with it by now. I know it's not that simple."

Mei averted her eyes from Yue. "Trust me when I tell you this Yue. You can't know about what I'm dealing with. It's hard enough for me without knowing that you'll get involved."

"Mei, I'm your my friend," she exclaimed. "I don't care what it is but I'm not going to let you do this alone. You have the support of your friends, don't you know that?"

"Yue… I'm sorry but I can't… it'd be devastating to know something happened to you and know I could have stopped you."

"So… it's that bad that you can't trust your friend…" Yue asked sadly. The girl stood up from the chair and began to walk out, pushing the door open. But before she left, she turned her head toward Mei. "I've always supported you Mei and I always will. Don't forget that."

Mei watched as Yue left the café. Mei stared down at her drink and quickly finished it and went out. As the girl walked down the street back home, she was left alone with her thoughts but Yue certainly left her impression on her. Mei wanted Yue to know. She really did. But the risks were too great. She could be hurt or worst… killed. And Xiang already had enough problems to deal with by being with her. Things were just far too dangerous.

Yue walked in the opposite direction of Mei and began to ruffle through her bag. After a short moment of searching, she pulled out her cell phone and hit speed dial. "Tai? Yeah it's me. I'm heading over to your place so we can talk about something. Yeah it is about her. Thanks. See you soon."

* * *

><p>Xiang had retreated back to his home as he began to rummage through his arsenal. His Bluetooth began to ring in his ear and picked up by a familiar voice. "Arthur, I have something to report."<p>

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"I've found Ivan Braginski."

"You what!" Arthur cried. "Hold on, this kind of information must be told to Honda-sama as well."

Xiang cursed under his breath. He didn't need more people know about this. But he didn't argue. It was pointless to anyway. "What is it Arthur?" Kiku asked.

"Xiang says he's spotted Braginski."

"Is that so? Then continue with your report, assassin."

"The target seems to be involved romantically with a male named Wang Yao. The male is in his mid-thirties. Occupation head chef of a restaurant. The male doesn't seem to realize who the target really is." Xiang didn't want to say anything more than necessary. But even then he had to say too much. He was dealing with a very dangerous organization and he knew first hand.

"Interesting," commented Kiku. "If Braginski is truly interested in this Wang Yao, then we could use this to our advantage. Xiang, you will kidnap Yao and we'll use him as bait to lure Braginski to us. And if there's anyone else living with him, take them too. We can't have witnesses."

"…no…"

"What was that? I thought I heard incorrectly. It sounded like you said 'no' to me."

"That's exactly what I said. No."

"What!" Kiku snapped. "What is this? I order you to follow the plan and kidnap that male."

"No," Xiang repeated. Xiang knew this was dangerous. Rather it was like signing a death waver. But he wasn't going to let them take Yao and certainly not Mei. But he had to act quickly. "I have another plan. Involving more people would put our organization at risk of exposure. Or at least heighten the chances. I'll deal with this my own way and we won't have to risk that chance."

Xiang could clearly hear Kiku scowl through the phone. But before he allowed Kiku to respond, he cut the call. Now Kiku had no chose but to accept Xiang's plan. But he knew it was dangerous to be playing games with Kiku Honda. Either way, he had no chose. First thing he had to do was separate Yao from Ivan. Then the second was bringing Ivan down. If he could.

* * *

><p>Mei entered her home quietly, the sound of the door creaking echoing in the relatively empty house. Something was different however. Mei didn't know exactly what it was but the place seemed, heavier. And even stranger was the fact that she didn't see or hear anything from Yao.<p>

Mei crept around the house, looking for her brother. At the end of a hall, she saw that his room door was slightly cracked open. Curious, she began to go toward it. Slowly pushing open the door, she poked her head through and saw a large lump in the middle of the bed.

"Yao-ge?"

The lump shifted slightly and Mei could hear a muffled sound from under the covers. She walked over and pulled off the covers in a quick motion. She almost gasped when she saw him. His eyes were red and puffy, obviously from crying and he looked miserable.

"Yao-ge? What happened?"

When Yao spoke, his voice was hoarse and dry. "Mei… what you said to me earlier, I realized it was important. So I called Ivan and we talked. He wouldn't answer me on so many things. So if he was going to keep that many secrets from me, I can't be with him. I broke up with him."

"You what!" she exclaimed. Mei was surprised beyond belief. She figured that it'd take at least a few days to work. Trust really was a big part of a relationship however. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Y-yeah… I just don't feel like working ~aru. So I'm taking the day off."

"Oh, alright then. If you need anything, give me a call."

The Chinese man nodded and went back to his pillow. Mei stepped out of the room and quietly shut the door and exhaled a sigh of relief. Now that that was over with, she needed to inform Xiang.

Mei went up to her room and called Xiang the moment she was alone. "Xiang? I have big news. Yao-ge broke up with Ivan. Isn't that great? We don't have to worry anymore."

There was a silent moment which worried Mei. "Mei, whatever you do, don't step out of that house. Things just got even more dangerous."

"W-what? I thought we wanted to break them up."

"Yes but if it went perfectly, Ivan would have done the breaking up. Ivan is a dangerous man and there's no doubt in my mind that he'll want payback."

"He's not going to hurt Yao-ge, is he?"

"I'm not too worried about Yao. I'm worried about you. Ivan is the kind of man who would make his prey suffer and feel despair. If that's the case, he'll hit Yao indirectly; through you."

"W-what?"

"You're Yao's only sister so he must care deeply for you. If something were to happen to you, then Yao would suffer. But I'm going to protect you with all my might Mei. So don't go anywhere. I'm on my way."

Before Mei could respond, Xiang hung up. Mei closed her phone and stared at it. She was worried about what was about to happen. She knew there was no way they'd leave this unscathed.

* * *

><p>Tai quickly ran over to his front door the moment he heard the door bell ring. The moment the door cracked open, Yue waltz in with a worried look on her face. Tai followed her to the living room without question.<p>

The two sat down and Tai already had some tea set out. "So what's happening with Mei?"

Yue took a deep breath and stared into her cup. "I'm not sure… that stubborn girl won't talk to anyone when things get too serious. And more importantly, it appears that she's more worried about my involvement instead of the actual problem."

"Maybe she's worried about both equally?"

"Maybe… but putting that aside, I still want to help her."

"I know you do," he smiled. "So what's the plan?"

"I don't know… confronting her won't do much. I tried talking it out with her but she didn't say anything."

"Well let's both confront her," he exclaimed. "I mean we'll take it easy but if we both question her, she'll break right? And I bet if we got Xiang into this it'd really work."

"Xiang? I never thought about that. But I don't know his number…"

"I do," he interrupted. "Don't tell him but I kind of snuck a peak at his number when he wasn't looking."

"… I'm not going to even ask about that," she sighed. "Anyway, why don't you give him a call?"

"On it!" Tai whipped out his cell phone and quickly called Xiang. After a few seconds he picked up. "Hey Xiang! It's Tai."

"Tai? How did you get my number?" he asked.

"That's not important right now. What is important is Mei."

"Mei? Did something happen to her?" he demanded urgently.

"Whoa slow down. She's fine but Yue and I are worried that she's hiding something. You want to help find out what it's about and help her?"

Xiang remained somewhat silent over the phone and his tone suddenly changed. "I'm sure she'll be alright."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I have something to do so I'll see you later. Bye."

Tai frowned as Xiang hung up. He looked up and saw Yue. "So…? What happened?"

"He said that she'll be fine."

"That's… different. I thought Xiang would jump at the chance to help her."

"Unless he knows too," Tai suggested. "Think about it. This is like what happened back on the trip and it involves Xiang. It would make sense."

Yue thought about it. Tai was right. Whenever Mei had to deal with something that involved Xiang as well, the secrets would arise. "Well I think still going to see her would help though."

"You think? Well there's no hurt in trying."

"Alright, let's go then."

Yue stood up and Tai followed quickly. Even though they didn't understand the entire situation, they knew something was wrong.

* * *

><p>Mei waited anxiously in her room as she waited for Xiang to arrive. She really didn't know what to expect. She just wanted this entire ordeal to be over but she knew it wasn't going to be that easy.<p>

Mei couldn't stand just sitting around and decided to pace around her room. It wasn't helping.

She walked over to her balcony and looked out over the front yard. "Where are you Xiang…?"

As she closed her eyes, she imagined Xiang appearing before her like he did last night. She wished it'd be that simple.

Suddenly the sound of gunfire broke her concentration. Her eyes snapped opened and she turned her head to where the sounds were coming from. Mei ran out of her room and out of the house towards the sound. She knew she was just running into trouble but she didn't care. She was dating an assassin after all.

After a few blocks she hid behind the corner of a tree. Mei lived at the outskirts of the city so being close to the forest wasn't new. But what was happening was definitely different.

Mei saw Xiang's car off to the side of the road and in a clearing she saw them. Xiang was desperately fighting against a mob of men and one woman that was far above them all. She moved with such speed and ferocity that Mei could tell she would be a hard match up against Xiang.

Regardless, the assassin fought back with everything he had. Xiang held his sword in one hand as he fended off the woman's attacks while his other hand held a gun. While he was parrying the knives that the woman was using, he tried shooting at her.

But the woman was fast so she either dodged or blocked the bullets. Mei noticed Xiang was at a huge disadvantage since the mob surrounded him and they were all holding guns aimed directly at him. Only a few fired at once because she assumed that they couldn't hit the woman so they had to wait for an opportunity to hit Xiang.

To her surprise, Xiang didn't look frightened at all but for some reason, some of the henchmen began to fall. That's when Mei realized, Xiang wasn't just trying to hit the woman with the bullets. He aimed at both her and the guards.

With little warning, a large man appeared. It was Ivan.

The man held a look of irritation and pain. "He must have really liked Yao-ge," Mei thought.

The man took out a small sphere and tossed it into the center of the circle where the woman and Xiang were fighting. The woman instantly noticed the ball and fell back. Xiang didn't know what to expect but he sliced the sphere in half.

Instantly, an explosion of smoke covered the field. Xiang began to gasp as he jumped away from the center of the gas. But he was surrounded as all the men began to throw similar spheres at him and they all erupted with the same gas. Xiang's movements slowed until he collapsed to the ground.

As the mob waited for the gas to clear, Ivan held a smile on his face. The smoke soon dissipated and the men moved in and bounded Xiang. They began to drag his body across the ground to their cars and pulled away.

Ivan however stayed and glanced over right in her direction. He smiled and placed what looked to be a card at the front of his foot and he walked away with the woman following right behind him. He knew Mei was there watching.

The girl stood completely frozen as panic sunk into her body. Xiang had been taken but not only that, Ivan wanted her to see it for some reason. She then remembered the card and she ran over to the clearing.

There resting on the grass was a white card scribbled down with instructions.

_If you want him to live, then you'll come to this location. Alone. _

Mei shook her head. She had to help Xiang even though she was terrified. Mei ran over to Xiang's car and prayed that the keys were still in the ignition. It was.

Just as she prepared to jump into the car, she could hear her name being called out. Her head quickly snapped around and she saw Yue and Tai running right at her. They both held a scared and worried face.

"Yue? Tai?"

"Mei! What in the world is going on?" Yue demanded. "Who were those people?"

"You saw all that?" she asked nervously.

"We only saw them taking Xiang. Why? Who are they?" Yue repeated.

Mei averted her eyes. The situation couldn't get any more worse. "You can't get involved in this…"

"Why not!" Yue snapped. "Mei, we're your friends. Please let us help you."

Mei stared down at her feet. She didn't have time and she didn't want to hide anything anymore. She hoped Xiang would forgive her for doing this. "Get in the car. I'll explain on the way."

A small smile appeared on Yue's face as she went into the car. Tai quickly followed, carrying his same happy expression albeit a bit more serious. Mei started the car without any hesitation and drove off, setting their destination for the location on the car.

As Mei drove, she took a deep breath as she considered all the things she had to explain. "Okay guys, I'll explain and tell you what you want but you have to swear never to tell anyone about this."

Both nodded. "Mei, we're your best friends, we won't tell anything unless you want us to."

"Alright… okay then." Mei believed the honesty in their voices and she trusted them with her life. Much like Xiang.

Mei took the next half hour of driving to explain almost everything to them. Who Xiang really was, what he did, how they met and became a couple. She made sure to stress the dangers of Xiang's work but also made sure they understood that Xiang would never hurt her or them. Yue and Tai were perfectly quiet as they listened to Mei explain every detail. More than anything, they were astonished by the reality and truth.

After all the explaining was done, she took the next few minutes to tell them the current situation and what had happened only half an hour ago. "So now I'm going to save Xiang."

Yue and Tai were speechless as they stared at the back of Mei's head. It was a lot to take in. "Wow… just wow…" Tai breathed.

"Mei… I can't believe you kept that all by yourself…"

"I wasn't alone," Mei argued. "I had Xiang."

"Well it all makes sense now," Yue commented. "Everything and the secrecy."

"Now that you know, I'd understand if you wanted to just go," Mei said sadly.

"Are you crazy," Tai exclaimed. "There's no way I'm backing out of this now. Xiang's my friend and he's important to you."

"I'm in too. I'm not going to leave you two alone to do this."

Mei couldn't help but smile and rub her eyes of the small tears. "You guys are the best." She couldn't thank them enough for their acceptance and their help. And she really couldn't thank them enough for being her friends.

With a renewed sense of hope, Mei confidently drove to the location. Within minutes they reached the destination. Mei got out and went to the back of the trunk, hoping Xiang kept some weapons she could possible use. And did he ever.

There were enough weapons and fire power to take on an army. Weapons she's never seen before along with the ammo for them. In another corner there were strange tools and devices. Mei didn't want to bother with those. If she didn't know how to use them, she could injury herself.

After a moment, she selected a few pistols and held them to make sure she could aim. Xiang made her practice holding guns, empty of course. And she practiced shooting using BB guns. He told her the recoil wasn't the same but the fundamentals were.

Yue and Tai stood back, looking confused and feeling useless. Mei looked over to them and gave a smile. "Thanks you guys for coming with me but from here it gets dangerous. You don't know how to deal with these things so please stay back. If things come to worse, call the police. In one hour. Got it?"

Yue and Tai nodded grudgingly. They didn't want to just stand around and do nothing but they had no other choice but to. But either way, they'd support their friend in any way they could.

Mei nodded and slowly walked toward the entrance to the building. The doors opened with a loud and echoing creek. Mei looked around and the building was utterly dark. The doors suddenly closed behind her, enveloping her in the darkness but without any warning a lone light bulb flashed on.

Under the light was Xiang.

Mei began to run toward him but a group of men appeared from the shadows and made a semi circle blocking Xiang from her view. The half circle opened slightly and Ivan walked out followed by the masked woman from before.

"So you showed," Ivan greeted.

Mei said nothing as she was ready to get out her gun when she needed it. And judging by the way all those men were formed, she would probably need it soon.

"Come now, no need to be so silent." Mei continued her speechlessness. "You're almost as bad as Xiang here when I first met him. No matter, actions do speak louder than words."

Ivan snapped his fingers and from behind Mei, more men came out and blocked her exit. "Now you must be wondering why I summoned you here, da?"

"Can you get on with it?" Mei demanded. She hated the way he spoke and just the sound of his voice made Mei's skin crawl.

"Patience girl. But I'll be quick to the point. Agony. I want everyone to feel the pain I have right now. And do you know how I've come to bear this pain?"

_Yao-ge_, Mei thought.

"You're brother. I was truly starting to take an interest in that male but obviously, that interest was cut short. Now with this agony I feel, I want him to suffer even more for what he did to me. But directly hurting him would bring me no pleasure or amusement. However, knowing that his precious sister is suffering would make him torture him quite a bit. And to know that it was his fault for bringing on that pain would destroy him, don't you think?"

"You're sick," Mei spat.

"I like to think that this is justice for what has happened."

"Then you would move on and not go to these outrageous conditions you madman!"

"Don't raise your voice with me," he calmly responded. "For now however, let's see how much pain it would bring you to see your boyfriend die by my hands. Oh and you don't have to worry about yourself too much. I ordered everyone not to kill you, yet."

Mei didn't hesitate as she lunged forward toward the guards. The men were quick to the feet to follow and catch Mei but she wasn't going to go down that easily. She pulled out one of Xiang's swords and swung around, slashing at the men behind her. Her swing cut down two men and forced the others to take a more defensive fighting stance.

The girl could hear the sound of guns being pulled out and she quickly reacted and dived for cover as gunshots were being fired. Mei peeked her head around and saw the darts that were instead fired. So they were planning on knocking her out or at the very least paralyze her.

The men were moving closer to where Mei was hiding. The girl needed to think quickly so her eyes darted around the room to find something that would be of use. This was an old warehouse used for storage presumably. In front of her was an array of wooden cases.

Mei moved quietly as she went over to the cases and shifted behind them. She could hear the men going to her last hiding place and some of the idiots actually hit each other with darts. Ignoring the complaints of the guards, Mei began to shuffled around the carts, trying to find her way closer to Xiang.

Mei reached the end of the row of crates and she saw she was still a considerable distance away from Xiang. The guards were looking for her in the back so this might be her only chance. Mei took a deep breath and rushed in toward Xiang. Just as she got within a few meters, a swift body moved in front of her and knocked her to the ground.

Mei looked up and saw it was the woman. The girl removed her mask, revealing Natalia underneath the white mask. Mei knew the girl was strange but her movements didn't seem like anything a girl of her appearance could maintain.

Natalia cruelly lifted Mei by her hair and made her face Xiang. The Cantonese teen was just coming to when his eyes opened to see Mei captured.

"Mei?" he said softly. "What are you doing here…?" Xiang seemed to still be recovering from the gas but when he realized what situation they were in, he began to struggle, throwing off any effects the gas had on him.

Ivan began to laugh in that cold harsh voice of his. The Russian removed a gun from his coat and walked over to Xiang, pressing the cold metal against Xiang's head. "This is game over now girl."

Mei tried to struggle against Natalia's hold but the girl's grip didn't budge. Mei could feel despair creeping up her. She had come to save Xiang, but she hadn't done them any good. Even worse he fell straight into Ivan's plans.

As Ivan's laugh continued to echo throughout the entire building, Mei felt herself at the edge of sorrow. Just as Ivan began to pull at the trigger, the front doors of the building suddenly burst open as the headlights of Xiang's car lit the warehouse. The car came driving at full speed, running over and knocking over the men that stood in its way.

Ivan and Natalia's attention was broken in favor of the machine pulling into the building. Mei took the chance and elbowed Natalia in the gut and quickly knocked her back. Mei took out her gun and shot at Ivan.

The Russian braced himself for the pain but he checked himself and saw he was unwounded. "You foolish girl! You missed!"

"Look again," Mei smirked.

Ivan looked down and saw that the bullet wasn't aiming for Ivan, but Xiang's bond. The assassin smirked and instantly tore through the weakened rope and quickly uppercut Ivan in the jaw. As the man fell back, Xiang swiped the gun from him and he shot at the men who were behind Mei.

Mei ran over to Xiang and he did the same with her. After a short embrace, the two looked over to the car as Yue and Tai popped their heads out from the front. "What are they doing here?" Xiang demanded.

"I'll explain later," Mei promised.

Yue and Tai lunged out of the car and ran over to the two. "Hey guys, we came to help," Tai exclaimed.

"I thought I told you to wait behind," said Mei.

"We heard the sounds coming from inside and we couldn't just stand around," Yue argued. "So we rushed in and we're here so you're going to get our help whether you like it or not."

Mei sighed deeply but before she could respond, both Natalia and Ivan came to their feet. Both look furious. The four didn't have time to argue to each other as they all went back to back as Ivan and his gang surrounded them.

"You brats are all going to pay," Ivan threatened.

Yue and Tai took out their own guns and held them close to their chest. "So this is what a mob looks like," Tai commented.

"I never thought we'd be in a situation like this," Xiang said.

"Well, get over it," Tai said. "So what's the plan?"

"I'll take on Natalia," Mei volunteered.

"I got Ivan then," Xiang said.

"Then we get the guards, I assume," Yue finished.

All four nodded and dashed off against their respective enemies. Tai moved quickly and was surprisingly quick to dodging any and all of the attacks the guards fired at him. Tai got in close enough to unleash his fighting moves onto the men; knocking them into the concrete and bloodying his knuckles as he pounded them into their faces.

Yue was ferocious in her attack as she threw men into each other. The girl was surprisingly strong but whenever Yue got angry, that's what tended to happen. The girl moved with a certain elegance of swiftness yet she struck to the point.

Mei stared off against Natalia as the two girls fought at long range. Mei tried to shoot the girl down but every bullet was dodged and met with an offensive array of knives toward Mei's body. The constant assault to one another kept any guards far away from their fight. Anyone close to them were afraid of being hit by any stray bullet or knife.

Xiang and Ivan fought hand to hand in close combat; while Xiang was quick and strong, Ivan was overwhelmingly strong. Every time Xiang dodged and punch, he could feel the pressure of the wind that followed the fist. Xiang knew if he got hit by that, he'd be at a disadvantage right away.

As the battles continued, the group of four realized they were at a great disadvantage. As skillful as Tai and Yue were, there seemed to be an endless supply of men attacking them from left and right.

Mei soon found that she ran out of bullets and was now on the defensive. Natalia took full advantage of this opportunity and continued to push Mei back with her arsenal of knives. The girl moved in such a way that every time Mei dodged a knife, Natalia could move forward and pick up the knife she used before. Effectively, Natalia had an infinite number of knives she could use against Mei.

Xiang was on par with Ivan; that is until the Russian started to use a dirty trick. As they continued to fight, Ivan picked up a pipe lying on the ground and used it to extend his range and power. Xiang couldn't get in close enough to land a single strike against Ivan.

Xiang glanced behind himself and saw Mei in her desperate situation. That was also the moment when he saw his sword at her side. "Mei! Swap!"

The girl looked over and saw Xiang toss his gun toward her. Mei reacted quickly and tossed his sword toward him. Mei caught the gun and instantly fired at Natalia. One shot hit and landed in her shoulder, forcing her to fall back.

Xiang caught the blade and released it from its sheath and cut the pipe clean in half. Ivan paled and jumped back.

"It looks like we'll have to retreat." Xiang wasn't planning on letting him do that as he charged at him with his blade raised. Ivan whipped out a bottle of vodka strangely enough and tossed it straight at Xiang. The assassin easily smashed the bottle before it ever reached him, making the content splash to the floor.

Ivan only laughed as he reached into his coat once more, this time bringing out a match. "I hope you enjoy fire, Xiang." He lit the thing and tossed it into the alcohol. Instantly the ground burst into flames and followed the trail of vodka straight to the wooden crates.

Xiang's eyes widened as the wooden crates caught the flames and quickly began to spread through the entire facility. When he turned to see Ivan, the Russian had already disappeared and he turned around to see the men running away.

Xiang ran over to Mei and grabbed her hand. "We have to get out of here," he ordered.

"What about Yue and Tai?" she asked worriedly.

"We're right here!" exclaimed Tai. Yue was finishing off one of the guards at the other end of the building as she ran toward her friends.

"Get to the car," he commanded. The four Asians began to run for it. Xiang was the first to reach the vehicle followed by Mei.

Xiang started the car as the engine roared by was muffled by the sound of the building falling apart. "Hurry!" Mei urged.

Yue ran toward them but the girl was exhausted from her fighting, barely having enough energy to keep herself standing. The sound of crashing rubble motivated her toward the car but the near crash of a beam made her fall to the ground.

"Yue!" Mei cried. The Taiwanese girl ran out of the car to help her friend even though Xiang tried to stop her.

Mei was too far as one of the beams above Yue gave way and the flaming wood came down on Yue. The girl tried climbing to her feet but she didn't have enough time to move. Yue knew what was about to happen and closed her eyes, hoping it would end quickly.

Suddenly a figure appeared and shoved her out of the way as the loud crash of the beam met the ground. Yue fell to the ground. The girl shook her head as she turned around and saw Tai's body lying under the fire.

"Tai!" Yue cried. The Vietnamese girl scrambled to him and held onto his hand.

Tai gasped and coughed as he looked up to see Yue. "…Yue…"

"Tai! Why did you do that you idiot!"

"I… had to…" he coughed.

"You could have saved yourself you idiot…" Yue's tears began to emerge as she stared down at him. "You should have left me…"

"I couldn't do that…" he breathed. "You're the most important person to me Yue. I… I love you."

Yue's eyes widened as her hands tightened on his. "Y-you idiot… I love you too," she confessed.

Tai smiled and closed his eyes. "Go Yue… please…"

"I won't," she said. "I'm not going to leave you alone like this…"

"Our friends need you…" he coughed.

"I—"A scream suddenly broke Yue's sentence and she turned around to see Mei being chased by Natalia. "Mei!"

Mei was running to help Yue when Natalia leaped out from the flames at began to strike at her. Mei ran from her as fast as she could but as she ran, she tripped over fallen debris. Mei scrambled to her back and saw Natalia rushing toward her.

The girl leaped at her with the blade stretched out. Mei braced herself when a body lunged itself in front of her. Mei stared blindly as she saw Yue's face staring at her. The girl coughed up blood as she smiled at her friend.

"J-just in time…"

"Yue!"

Natalia lifted the girl off her feet and tossed her aside. The woman took out another blade and prepared to stab Mei once more. This time however, Xiang appeared and smashed his leg into Natalia, sending her flying into the wall.

"Mei, are you okay?"

"X-Xiang… Yue!" Mei leaped to her feet and went over to her friend as a pool of blood began to form under her. "Yue! No!"

"Mei, we have to go now!" Xiang urged.

"W-we can't leave them here," Mei sobbed.

Xiang saw the tears stream down Mei's face as she pleaded to him. Mei too saw the pain in Xiang's eyes. He did care about Tai and Yue. They were his friends after all.

Xiang quickly lifted Yue to her feet and handed her to Mei. "Take her to the car and get it going now!" Mei followed without question as Xiang ran to where Tai was.

Xiang leaped over the burning rubble and found his body lying under one of the beams. Xiang grabbed underneath the wood, ignoring the burning to his hands and using all his strength, he threw the beam off of his friend's body. Xiang quickly bent down and lifted Tai up.

Right on time, Mei drove the car over to them and Xiang helped Tai's body into the back and then jumped in as well. Mei drove as she navigated through the burning building. The car barely made it through the exit as more rubble piled its way in front of the entrance. Now that they were escaped, they were out of danger. Unfortunately, Tai and Yue weren't.

* * *

><p>Ivan watched as the building was engulfed in flames. A few men came forward and waited for Ivan to say anything. "Did you find her?" he asked.<p>

"Yes. We retrieved her from the building but she's bruised and has burn marks all over."

"I see… let's go then. We're done with this and those people."

The men nodded and followed his orders without question. Ivan merely stayed silent as he was driven home. Based on what his men told him, two of those kids were critically injured. Ivan couldn't risk getting involved with Yao anymore. Those kids were close to the girl and it connected him too much. He was safe… for now.

* * *

><p>Mei sat anxiously outside the operating room along with Xiang. After they escaped from the building, they rushed to the hospital and brought Tai and Yue along. When the medical team had arrived, they worked fast to bring into the hospital but the strangest thing was happening.<p>

Tai and Yue's hands were intertwined and even as they were unconscious and barely breathing, they refused to let go of the other.

Mei tried to reassure herself that everything would be okay but she expected the worst. Actually she saw the worse. She knew what was going to happen but she was too afraid to see it.

After a few more minutes, a doctor and nurse stepped out of the room, a grim look on his face. "Are you two their friends?" he asked.

"Yes we are," Xiang answered.

"Well we need to get in contact with their families… I'm sorry."

"We'll let you do that then. Thank you for telling us."

The doctor nodded and began to walk down the hallway. Xiang turned to Mei and nudged her slightly. "Mei… we have to go…"

"Xiang… we need to talk… now."

"What is it?" he asked worriedly.

"Xiang, I have to break up with you." Mei then braced herself for some sort of comeback but it never came. She opened her eyes and looked at Xiang, "Aren't you mad? Or even going to question it?"

"How could I? If it's what you want, then I can't."

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Stop being you…" Xiang looked at her with a confusing gaze and she couldn't control herself any longer. "I mean, I'm not right for you Xiang! I keep on troubling you with my very presence, I mean just look at what happened today and I don't want to do that to you anymore…"

Xiang softened his gaze and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I don't care about any of that. I know this was truly a tragedy. My heart grieves for them but Mei; I care too much for you to be mad. I accept everything of you. You are the only one for me. You saved me from this world of mine, saved me from that overwhelming emptiness and darkness. If you're happy, then that's all that matters."

"But…" Mei was silenced as Xiang captured her lips. Mei deepened the kiss as she returned it and the moment seemed to send a message to the both of them. After that moment, they regretfully pulled away from each other.

Mei looked at Xiang with a restored light in her eyes. "Even if you were to hate me, I would still always love you. Always and forever."

"I could never hate you and I could never stop loving you anyway. I thought I didn't have any of those things to lose. I was accustomed to this loneliness of mine but… if I'm necessary to you then I'll definitely never leave you alone. For your sake, I'll never leave you alone."

"Do you promise?"

"I swear to you, that I'll always be forever close to you."

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: Wish I owned Hetalia but I don't <strong>

**A/n: Hello everyone and welcome to a new update! First thing I'd like to say is you guys are so awesome for the reviews, they really made me happy ^^ Now to the chapter, yep I'm pretty sure you guys know what that tragedy is now. The two have suffered a heavy blow but their oath to each other is stronger than ever now because they were able to overcome something to this scale. Truly I didn't want to kill off Yue or Tai but it was necessary. And I think it was a noble sacrifice. If it wasn't please tell me because that is not how its suppose to be then. Anyway I foreshadowed some things in this chapter if you didn't catch them and the next few chapters are going to be completely insane. Now for something within the chapter, if any of you caught that reference and irony to the title of the story, then you deserve much praise because I actually never planned that scene. It just worked out that way but worked out spectacularly. Anyway I'll be heading off to college in less than a week so updates may come a bit slower or not. Depends on what happens but wanted you guys to know that. I'll still be writing so don't worry about that! Also if you notice the genre change, it was brought up thanks to one of you guys. I realized it really is more suspense oriented than horror. Also with 13 being uploaded, Under the Light is halfway done :D So anyway thank you so much to the reviewers and thank you to my readers. You guys are absolutely wonderful.**


	14. Chapter 14: Devious Agent

_Deception is cast behind a mask or a façade and most of the times, even the strongest love faces its danger_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 14:**_

_**Devious Agent**_

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The day's skies were blanketed with gray clouds. The dimmed light only penetrated so much before the city was filled with shade. The very air was filled with a certain heaviness that only added to the darkened skies. Even the clouds threatened to overflow with its waters.

Xiang saw all of this as he stared out the windows from the Organization's building. The assassin was dressed differently than he usually was when he was at the building. He was wearing an entirely black outfit but it was much more formal than what he was supposed to be wearing. The Asian's eyes were dimmed by a tragic event. And his heart showed it all through his appearance.

He closed his eyes quietly as he turned away from the windows and began to walk. Regardless of what happened, he was required to report on what happened. And he was sure he was going to be scolded for not accepting Kiku's earlier plans.

As Xiang walked along the empty hallways, many thoughts filled his mind but he always found himself thinking about her. He worried for her well being at all times but now was different. There was no way to erase what happened and there was no true method for healing her now. She was much closer to them than he ever was but he knew they were his friends. He could only feel a fraction of the pain she felt.

Xiang began to turn a corner when he crashed into another person. The other came crashing to the floor, rear first.

"Ow… Hey watch where you're go—" The girl turned wide eyed as she realized who she ran into. "X-Xiang…." The girl was terrified now. There were rumors going on that anyone that crossed Xiang's path would end up dead and their bodies completely unrecognizable. "I'm so sorry! It's completely my fault."

Xiang stared down at the girl. He recognized the long black hair and lean face. Nesia. She was a fellow assassin within the Organization. He never really took any notice of her which back then, was a good thing. No one really wanted to get acquainted with the most deadly assassin in the Organization.

Xiang reached out his hand. "It's fine…"

Nesia stared at the hand cautiously. Was it a trick? The girl looked up to see his face and without thinking she allowed him to help her to her feet. After a moment, she snapped her focus back. "T-thanks," she said nervously.

"No problem." Xiang walked around the girl and continued his journey to meet with Arthur and Kiku.

Nesia looked behind herself and stared as Xiang grew smaller and smaller until he disappeared around a corner. There was something different to Xiang. Despite his emotionless appearance, he held a certain warmth in his eyes. But that wasn't the only thing lying in those golden eyes, there was sadness. She really didn't know what it was but something changed in Xiang. She knew him from before and it might've been a woman's intuition but whatever change it was, it was for the better.

* * *

><p>The anticipation was broken as Xiang entered Kiku's office. The room seemed unchanged, save for the added monitors. Arthur was to the side of Kiku's desk, carrying a worried expression on his face. Xiang immediately closed off any emotions he might've been carrying. He had to remain unemotional in front of Kiku.<p>

"Xiang… You know why we called you." Kiku's voice was harsh and stern. He was definitely not a happy person right now.

"I do," he answered simply.

"Then do tell."

"I'm here to report about the Braginski incident. The man escaped. Two individuals were killed in the conflict so I don't think we'll be able to lure him out with the male he was dating."

"I see… you disobeyed orders and now we lost the perfect chance to lure that man out."

"Actually a few hours before, the two broke up. I don't think kidnapping him would have done anything in that case."

Kiku closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair. The minutes of silence that passed were incredibly tense; not so much for Xiang but Arthur was more nervous than he ever was before. "I see… you're excused."

Xiang bowed and left the room without a word. After Kiku made sure Xiang was gone, he turned to Arthur. "I have something to discuss with you. Take a seat."

Arthur rushed into his seat and looked at Kiku, a mixture of curiosity and uneasy in his face. In this situation, it was good not to question Kiku at all so he waited until the Japanese man spoke.

"There's something I've noticed. About Xiang."

"What would that be?"

"He's… changed."

"What do you mean _changed_?"

"He's different, Arthur-san. Those cold eyes he used to have aren't there anymore. When I looked at him, I could tell he wouldn't hesitate to kill or follow any order. But now, there's that look in his eyes. Something like, compassion." Kiku turned his face in a disgusted look.

"That can't be," Arthur argued. There was that look of fear in Arthur's eyes. Luckily Kiku thought it was the fear of losing his perfect assassin; not the fact that he stumbled onto the truth. Arthur knew. But he would do whatever it took to protect Xiang.

"Regardless of your opinions, this matter cannot be ignored."

"What do you plan to do then?" he asked nervously.

Kiku turned around and began to fiddle with his hands. "Let's just see… how our top assassin fares against our top spy."

* * *

><p>A group of people stood in a crowd as the funeral began. As soon as the coffins were seen being carried down, the crowd parted so the caskets could be brought forth. No one held even a shred of joy as they watched the wooden tombs being carried to their resting place.<p>

Xiang and Mei stood close to the graves and lowered their heads as the coffins reached their final destination. As the caskets were being lowered, Xiang glanced over to see Mei. The girl was wearing a simple black dress. In her hands, she held a bouquet of flowers. Ignoring all those things, it was clear Mei was hurt. Her eyes were filled with sorrow.

The moment the coffins were placed in the ground, a man stood in front of the two graves. "The world has suffered a great lost from the death of these two individuals. I give my regards to the families who have been dealt such a sorrowful event. Before I allow others to give their final words and farewells to the two, I'd like to thank the mysterious benefactor who donated the large sum of money to the families in order to purchase the plots, graves and pay for the entire ceremony."

Mei looked over at Xiang. The girl knew it was him. For whatever reason, it was an honorable move. She looked back to the graves. She was glad the two could be buried next to the one they loved and held even as their final moments left them.

The next hour was taken by the families; each said their own farewells and told stories about Tai and Yue. At the end of the families' farewells, the men began to fill in the holes, sealing the two within the earth. But eternally together.

Xiang waited right behind Mei as everyone left the cemetery. As soon as everyone left, Xiang walked forward slightly and touched her shoulder. Mei shook it off and Xiang pulled his hand back. Mei didn't make a single sound as she titled her head to the sky. Xiang followed her movements and stared into the gray skies.

"Xiang… this pain in my chest…. I don't know what it is but what I do know is that when you're with me that's the only time I realize what we've been through. Those promises made…"

"Mei…" Xiang quietly wrapped his arms around the girl and held her tightly. At first she struggled slightly to escape but eventually gave in. "Mei… I want you to know something; every experience has a meaning so take what you can and grow from it. A precious time is a treasure, a horrible moment a time to mature and grow. So until those tears disappear and that unbreakable radiance of yours unceasingly shines, I'll be here for you."

Mei turned around and hugged Xiang, burying her face at the same time. Within seconds, Xiang could feel the front of his shirt being dampened by her tears. He tenderly began to stroke the back of her head as her soft sobs continued. He didn't care how long they'd stay like this, as long as he could be there for her. And until she let out all her sorrows, so he could replace it with joy.

* * *

><p>Even with such a tragic event taking place, one thing that continued without fail still came. School.<p>

The news of the deaths spread like wildfire throughout the school; giving a heavy air of tension and grieving. Everyone knew to stay away from the two greatest sources of the grieving; Mei and Xiang. They knew they were the closest to Tai and Yue and thus felt the greater lost.

But strangely enough, the two were even closer now. They never left each other's side and with every possible moment they had, they would hold each other. Mei realized how swift life could disappear so she would make sure to spend as much time as she possibly could, being with the one she loved.

Xiang was always there with Mei. But something he was extremely concerned about was her happiness. Even though she said she was happy just being with him, that wasn't the complete truth. The death of Tai and Yue clearly scarred the girl. But either way, Xiang would try to cheer her up.

The class bell rung and everyone went into their seat. The teacher walked in, her facial expression announcing that something was up. "Class, we have a transfer student. Please welcome—"

Before the teacher could finish, the door burst open and in ran a cheery looking Korean. The male was tall and somewhat skinny with a black curl coming from his head. "Hey everyone! I'm Im Yong Soo. Nice to meet you all!"

The glass began their quiet murmurs as they gossiped about Yong Soo. The Korean seemed to ignore all the other classmates talk and found his way to the open seat. He was going toward his seat until something caught his eye. Xiang.

The male walked up in front of Xiang and reached out his hand. "Hey! You seem kind of out of it don't you?"

The entire class went deathly silent. No one in their right mind ever went up to Xiang like that except Mei. And clearly he wasn't her. The Cantonese teen closed his eyes and slapped the hand away. "That's none of your business."

Instead of moving his hand away, Yong Soo reached back and took Xiang's hand, shaking it. "You're an odd guy aren't you?"

The entire room now went tense. The class was wondering if Yong Soo had a death wish to talk to Xiang, much less forcibly shake his hand. Before Xiang could react, the teacher stepped in. "Yong Soo, please stop bothering Xiang and go to your seat," she urged.

"Alright teach." Yong Soo flashed a smile and went over to his seat. Despite no confrontation occurring, the air in the room was thick with fear and tension. And to no surprise, Yong Soo was oblivious to it.

Class went by slowly as the clock ticked away and the teacher taught her lesson. The moment the bell rang, everyone made their way out. As usual, Xiang and Mei walked together. The difference was when Yong Soo came out running after them.

"Hey! I never got your name!"

Xiang ignored him until he placed his hand on his shoulder. Xiang instantly whipped around and grabbed his arm, resisting the urge to go further. "Wow, you're really fast."

"Could you please not bother him," Mei asked.

"Hm sure, as long as you give me his name."

Xiang pushed him back and turned around. "Let's not bother with him, Mei."

Mei turned around and followed Xiang, not bothering to look back.

Yong Soo stood in the middle of the hallway, looking at the two walk away. He shrugged and turned around, going his own way, a small smirk developing on his face.

* * *

><p>Xiang and Mei walked idly back to their next class. Xiang looked awkwardly at Mei and cleared his throat. "Hey Mei."<p>

"Yeah?"

"You know the academy ball is coming up right?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Well I thought we could—"

"Go together?" she finished. Xiang nodded shyly and she giggled. "I'd love to."

"Great," he smiled.

The two continued to their room without another word. Secretly, Xiang was hoping this would be just the thing she needed to cheer up.

* * *

><p>Yong Soo grinned as he recorded more information. Being such a hyper and energetic person, no one suspected him of having any potential to hurt someone or bad intentions. He did just as the Organization instructed, infiltrate the academy without any suspicions and collect information on their top assassin.<p>

And did he ever.

The Korean learned from everyone else that Xiang was an intimidating person but the only person he didn't scare of was that girl that always followed him. Mei Mei Wang.

That was all Yong Soo needed to know to efficiently do his mission. He would learn Xiang's connection to that girl. The story was they were going out but he couldn't go by anyone's words on that. He had to see for himself to be sure, because the Organization didn't accept failure.

So now he stood on the rooftop of a building, binoculars enhancing his vision as he spied on Xiang and Mei. The two were holding hands. That was a start to say the least. From what he heard, if you touched the guy, you would probably lose an arm. And that was if you were lucky.

He learned firsthand this morning when he tried getting Xiang's attention. But he knew the guy wouldn't do anything in front of so many witnesses. But then again, he could probably slaughter them all and leave no trace that he done it.

Yong Soo put away his binoculars and planned his next move. He would have to continue to keep watch over to the two until he got more evidence of their relationship. And luckily, he had a few hundred spy cameras that he could use to do it.

* * *

><p>The air was fresh as the darkness of the night rolled in but it was just the start of the evening for many. The academy ball was set up at a country club a few miles away from the actual school. As the students started to arrive in their own form of transportation, mainly limos or cars, the festivities were about to begin.<p>

The outside of the building was lavishly decorated, giving it a warm and inviting appearance. Flowers were lined against the walls in a stream like appearance and ribbons hung from the top of every spot they could be hung from.

The most romantic aspect of the whole thing however were the dim candle lights that were placed along the walkway and at different edges and points of the building's front. The dim light was all that was needed for the outside because for once, in the entire city, the sky was able to present its millions of stars.

Just as they were letting people inside, the most magnificent transportation arrived. A somewhat large carriage driven by horses arrived. The pearl white outside was only complimented by the flickering lights of the candles that reflected off of its splendid surface. The stallions were a lustrous black which contrasted the white nicely. The beasts were also very noble as they pulled the carriage to its destination, not once showing any sign of distress or agitation.

The door to the carriage finally opened as people began to surround it in amazement. The young man to step out was finely dressed in a smooth silk tuxedo. And to many peoples' surprise, the one wearing the suit was Xiang. He looked different somehow. His expression was softer and almost tranquil as he stepped out with that small smile on his face.

Obviously that had his fan club fawning over the look and immediately taking pictures.

Xiang stood right next to the door and in a gentle movement of his hand; he offered it to the young lady stepping out. The girl took it with a small smile and even more gasps were heard. Mei was dressed in an unbelievable dress. It appeared to be simple but it was far from that. The intricate designs of flowers added to her natural beauty. Her hair being pulled into a ponytail made it so her lush hair was much more noticeable.

Once Mei got her footing, the girl took Xiang's arm and he led them into the dance. "I think you went a bit overboard with this."

"This? I didn't have us parachuting down did I?" he joked.

Mei smiled and laughed as the two entered the building. But from there, it seemed to be a standstill. Even though the two were inside and they had their seats, Mei seemed completely uninterested in dancing.

The girl looked off to the side; her wistful gaze filled melancholy.

Xiang sighed deeply. This was not going accordingly to plan at all. He thought being surrounded in the festivities and liveliness would lighten Mei's mood but it seemed the death was still having its effect on the girl.

But there was no way he was going to give up.

"Mei?"

"Hm?" The girl turned her attention to Xiang and gave a small smile. "Yes Xiang?"

"Why don't we go dance?"

Mei averted her eyes, "Sorry but… I don't really feel like it…"

"Come on. It'll be fun," he urged.

Mei looked hesitant as she offered her hand but she didn't have time to pull it back as Xiang gently took it and led her to the dance floor. She was surprised at his eagerness to dance but followed regardless. The two soon reached the center of the dance floor and Xiang resting his arms at her waist as she responded by placing her hands on his shoulders.

The two began to follow the rhythm of the song, slowly moving along with the music. The two didn't bother to look at the other in the eyes as they danced. The song was gentle and soft, perfect for a romantic dance but that wasn't the point. Xiang wanted Mei to enjoy her time at the ball and he wanted to comfort her but if she wasn't willing to heal then it would be all wasted effort.

As they continued to dance, Xiang noticed that he wasn't going to make any progress at this rate. He glanced over to the DJ and gave him a nod. The man responded with a grin and announced a requested song. Xiang looked back down at Mei and smiled.

"Why don't we have a bit more fun?"

The song suddenly changed drastically. Instead of the slow song they were dancing to, it changed to an upbeat one. Xiang changed his hands' positions, placing one against her lower back and the other, grasping her hand. The girl looked slightly confused but tried her best to keep up with Xiang. But she then realized, he was guiding her every moment, and not in any rush.

Soon Mei got used to the rhythm and was able to follow Xiang accurately and she smiled when she accomplished this. Xiang unexpectedly had a daring feeling well up inside of him and in a burst of speed, he spun Mei out. The girl only followed the flow of his movements so she wasn't caught off guard; only a bit however.

Xiang then pulled her back, bringing them so close that their chests were pressed up against each other. Then in a final move along with the song's end, he leaned Mei back and held her up with his arm. He then swiftly moved down and kissed her. Mei was wide-eyed as he kissed her deeply and with so much energy.

After a moment, he pulled her upright and she was left breathless. "T-that was unexpected," she breathed.

"Sorry about that," he said sheepishly.

Mei shook her head. "Don't be, it was fun."

"I'm glad you think so. I had fun with it too."

Mei let out a soft chuckle as the song changed back to a slow one. The two resumed their previous positions but this time, they were actually looking into the other's eyes. "Xiang… I know the reason you took me out here tonight."

"You do?"

"Yes… it was to cheer me up. Wasn't it?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

"No but I just wanted to know. And now I do," she smiled. Mei quietly closed her eyes and leaned into his chest more. "You know Xiang… whenever you're with me, I feel stronger."

"Is that so?" he asked.

"Yes. You're the light that wipes away any hesitation I might feel."

Xiang was startled as he was told this. He never imagined anyone in their right mind would say that to him. Him. He lived in the darkness. "No one has told me that. This world we're in right now… its flawed and broken in so many ways. But because of its flaws, it explains to me why my heart throbs the way it does."

"Why does it?" she whispered.

"Because it reminds me of what I have. And that I promised myself and you, that I'll protect you forever."

"I know you will, Xiang. I trust you with my life."

"It's just one of the things I could do for you. I have to remember that I'm not alone anymore. And now I feel like I'm getting used to it."

"I feel the same way. I thought I was alone in my world. Like the days were repeating themselves. But when I hear your wonderful voice, I don't have to be afraid anymore. My heart is bound to yours."

"These tied bonds I've created with you are so strongly connected that they will never be broken as long as I live this life with you."

"A life like yours—"

"Ours—" he corrected.

"A life like ours," she smiled, "can finally break through that starless sky. And with that, maybe our wishes can come true too."

"I know they will. And even if they don't, I hope mine will be able to reach you."

"And mine to you."

The both of them smiled softly and the two suddenly tightened their hold on the other, pulling so close so that nothing could separate them. In that moment, the two kissed the other, wanting to stay connected forever in their promise, wish and love.

* * *

><p>Yong Soo stared smugly as he watched the scene unfold to him. He was surprised beyond belief. He would have never expected the most deadly and heartless assassin in the entire organization would fall in love. It was almost ironic in a way. But either way, his mission was accomplished. And now it was time to end this little farce of his.<p>

His phone rang for a moment until he heard the other side pickup. "I have an update on Xiang. And you'll never believe what I've found."

* * *

><p>The next few days were relatively quiet as Xiang spent the days with Mei. So when he was called by the Organization on an important notice, he was surprised. But this was better than earlier. Earlier he would have been terrified to leave Mei alone in that condition of hers but it seemed the ball had turned out wonderfully and she was much more cheery.<p>

Xiang now only had to worry about what the Organization wanted. It was probably going to be another mission but it didn't matter. He would accomplish it and then return to Mei without any problems.

As the elevator reached his designated floor, he walked through the empty hallway and came to Kiku's office. He knocked softly like he always did and he was allowed it. The image he got when he arrived wasn't one he expected.

Arthur wasn't anywhere to be seen and Yong Soo was standing right next to Kiku who had annoyed and furious look on his face. Xiang wordlessly stood in front of the desk. This was definitely not going to be any ordinary meeting. Usually when he was assigned a mission, Arthur would be there but since he wasn't, this was going to be a different matter entirely.

"… Do you mind explaining yourself?"

Xiang held his stoic expression but he couldn't hide the confusion in his voice. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you know Yong Soo here. But do you really know who he is?"

Obviously not. "No."

"He's our top spy… in other words, we've been watching you. And we know."

Xiang tensed up instantly. This couldn't be happening. One of his greatest fears became a reality.

"How long did you think you could hide her, Xiang?" Xiang was silent. Kiku glared at the assassin and slammed his fist into the table. "Explain yourself!" he snapped. Xiang was now even more speechless as his mind ran blank. He had never seen Kiku snap but it wasn't his rage that struck fear in Xiang, it was the fact that the worst situation came.

"You do realize if you exposed your secret to that girl, she must die."

"I didn't tell her anything," he replied calmly.

"I have no idea how this could have happened but now you actually care about someone? Compassion is not a good quality for an assassin. You've grown weak."

"My skills have not weakened in the least. I'm just a strong or agile as before. Nothing's changed."

"Prove it then. I have a mission for you." Kiku snapped his fingers and Yong Soo took out a bag and tossed it at Xiang. The Cantonese teen caught it effortlessly but it was heavy and it smelled like… "Gunpowder. That is the only thing you're allowed to bring with you. You're going to infiltrate a group who's been transporting illegal technology to suppliers."

"So… if I accomplish this mission then you'll leave her alone?"

"If you meet my standards. But just to make it more difficult, bring back the most advance piece of technology that you find."

"I'll do this without fail, Honda-sama." Xiang bowed slightly and left the room. There was no way he was going to fail this task. Mei's life depended on it.

* * *

><p>Yong Soo grinned as he saw Xiang leave. The Korea turned to Kiku, "I assume you want me to follow and record all his movements?"<p>

"Do you even have to ask?"

Yong Soo laughed and made his way out of the room. Kiku sighed as he leaned back into his chair. "I have no idea why I keep that guy around…"

* * *

><p>Xiang grabbed his outfit and quickly changed into it. As he changed, he looked at the backpack sized bag of gunpowder. Xiang only knew so many ideas that he could use with gunpowder but he would make it work somehow.<p>

Xiang, finally suited, when into the parking garage and hopped onto his motorcycle. It was well maintained despite the lack of usage. As he sped out of the parking lot, Xiang began to formulate his plan for using the gunpowder. That's when he realized, he didn't have to use the stuff. Relying on his skill would be good enough in theory.

Xiang had to trust this plan as he went further and further out of the city. As he drove on the lonely highway, he wondered why this city of all places was the spot to hold so much crime. Then again, the whole world was just as corrupt.

Xiang found himself circling a lake as he emerged from the sea of trees. He was surprised, that the group was actually situated on the other side of such a grand lake. The forest perfectly concealed the place unless you were to travel on the uncharted road. But as he drove closer and closer, he saw the wreckage and skeletal evidence of trespassers.

Things got serious now.

Xiang didn't want his ride to be found so he found a spot that shrouded his motorcycle in the forest. Xiang continued on foot but it didn't make a difference to him. He never got tired from these sorts of things because of his extensive training. As he reached closer to the building, he saw how big the structure was.

The onyx stoned building stood high as if it was a castle. But as Xiang's eyes roamed over the thing it looked more and more like a castle. But if this was a technology operation, the medieval theme was just for appearance. There was no doubt it'd have high security and even more dangerous weaponry. Xiang had to be careful about what he did.

Xiang pressed his back against the stone wall and began to move slowly across it, staying close to the shadows. Xiang wasn't sure if there were any security cameras around but he had to assume so. As he waited in the darkness, he saw a few guards doing their rotation from outside to inside. Just as they were about to make the switch, Xiang leaped out of the forest and ran toward them.

The men were completely unprepared as they saw Xiang. Before they could take out their weapons or call for help, Xiang made a clean punch toward one of their faces. The man flew back and smacked into the other, knocking both of them to the ground. Xiang continued his movement, picking up their fallen weapon and shot both of them dead.

As he removed the other weapon from the man, he saw the radio they used for communication and picked it up. The thing would be useful in tracking information. Now that the entry way was clear, Xiang could enter but he had to be careful. Xiang took another look at the two bodies and swiftly kicked them into the lake.

Xiang ran into the castle, making sure to keep close to the shadows. The corridors were narrow as he ran through them so dodging anything would practically be impossible. As he went further into the castle, he found it strange that there wasn't any crossroads or a breaking in the path. He was just running straight. And Xiang ran quickly, if he was going to run into anything, he should have seen it by now.

Unless the castle had hidden corridors.

Xiang immediately stopped. That had to be the reason. He began to search for any irregularities in the walls; anything that would provide him a hint. He made run back, this time he wasn't looking ahead, but for any signs of the hint. There weren't any.

But he did find something. It was faint but the floor next to the side of the wall was faded. As if people regularly walked over that exact same spot over and over. But there weren't any markings that showed him how to get in. Xiang smoothed his hands over the door but there nothing. Just as he prepared to blow his way in, he heard the sound of footsteps going through the corridors. So he'd have to hide.

The men came rushing through in a single filed line, all of them carrying guns. "Where did the intruder go?" he demanded.

"I'm not sure. I could've sworn I heard footsteps down here."

"Don't tell me he got through the entrance. Open the doors!" he barked

One of the men came forward and took out a small device. He took the next few seconds to press the buttons. Suddenly, the door began to slide in, revealing a wider room on the inside. "Let's go—"

The man fell to the floor without finishing his sentence as gunshots began to ring through the corridors. Xiang slide down from the top of the walls, discarding the empty gun. It was far too easy to just shimmy up the narrow corridors and wait for them to open the door for him. And Xiang had been precise when he killed the men. A bullet for each of their heads.

Xiang proceeded into the new room and was surprised to find what was in there. It was filled will all sorts of devices and technology. Xiang didn't even know what half the stuff was but either way, he would make his way to find the leader. The assassin ran through the room and soon found an entry. When he entered, a bright light blinded him and he could hear guns being cocked.

When his vision came back to him he saw dozens of guns pointed at him. The entry he came from, suddenly closed behind him and Xiang cursed. He was trapped.

Two of the men parted and then out came a short young lady. The girl wore glasses and had the face of someone innocent, like she enjoyed the cuter side of things. However the situation spelled something completely different. She did what she had to, and Xiang had to do this.

"What are you doing here?" she inquired.

Xiang was puzzled. The girl should be ordering her men to shoot him dead yet she wondered what he was doing here? It should have been obvious. Either way, Xiang wasn't going to say a word.

"Aw… you should talk more. But if you don't want to…" The girl turned around and the men all began to aim at Xiang.

Before they could shoot at him, Xiang dashed toward them. The men began to fire at Xiang but the assassin easily dodged the barrage of bullets in rapid succession. Xiang had to be moving as fast as he was because even one injury and that meant it was over for him. Not his life. But his promise.

And there was no way, he'd break it.

Xiang abruptly stopped and bent his knees. Just as the men shot at him, he leaped into the air, avoiding all their bullets and stepping over them and landing in front of the girl. Xiang reached out to grab her when the small glimmer of a blade came to a corner of his eye. Reacting quickly, he ducked lower, the blade scraping his cheek slightly. Xiang rolled to the ground but raised his leg and kicked the sword out of the man's hands and took it for his own.

Xiang spun his legs around, kicking any men surrounding him until he was able to fly to his feet without losing his momentum. Using the energy, he swung his blade toward more of the men and slashed them. A wave of blood splattered to the floor as the men fell to the ground but Xiang was relentless as he slaughtered them, preventing them from hurting him.

He made quick work of his prey until the last body crumpled to the ground. Xiang spun his head around and saw the girl running with two guards and a few men making sure to protect her. He couldn't let her get away.

The small group ran into another room, disappearing from his sight. Just as he was about to reach the door, from out of the walls came two guns. Xiang quickly took evasive action as bullets bombarded him. Xiang tried to dodge the stream of bullets but they were closing in on him. Xiang saw a slightly opened door and saw his escape.

Xiang leaped for the door and dived in and shut the door as he heard the shells ram into the wall behind him. As Xiang waited, the sound of the firing ceased and he could breathe again. The only problem now was he was trapped. If he stepped outside, then he would be filled with holes. But if he didn't, the girl would get away.

All Xiang had at his disposal was the sword he took from one of the men. That and his bag of gunpowder but that stuff was practically useless. But as Xiang lifted his eyes from the ground, he saw something that he could use. Somehow he was in the storage room where all the files were kept. It would be risky but he had no other choice.

* * *

><p>The small group panted as they came to a halt when they reached the next room. None of them let their guard down as they circled the girl.<p>

"You think we lost him?" she asked.

"We believe so, Mistress Raven."

"I thought I told you guys to call me Rei. That's really too formal for my liking."

"Yes Mistress." Rei groaned again but ignored them. The girl began to move to a more a secure location, knowing that she would still be in danger until she was directly told that the assassin's body was found and killed.

Just as she began to move, the sounds of explosions caught her attention. They weren't loud enough or big enough to rumble the entire castle so she wasn't worried about it taking out all of them. But it was enough to know that it was destroying something.

Suddenly, the door burst open, a volume of smoke rushing into the room. Her guards quickly surrounded her and got out their weapons in defense. As they waited, the sound of a sizzling sound caught their attention. They didn't know where it was coming from but it was getting louder. Rei then looked up and saw a small cylinder like object heading towards them.

The girl quickly told them but just as they looked up, the object fell into a person's face and exploded. The man's scream continued to last as he collapsed to the floor in pure agony. The other men ignored the man, knowing that he was useless now and their foremost priority was protecting Rei.

As they ran, a shadow burst out from the smoke and ran straight toward them. And just like a shadow, it appeared right behind them and one man was impaled from his abdomen. The small group was reduced to three people as they continued to run. As the impaled man's body was raised, Xiang easily tossed the lifeless figure aside and continued to run toward them.

The two guards cursed and turned around and began to fire at Xiang. The assassin took out two more makeshift firecrackers and tossed both of them at the men. One of the guards was able to hit the firecracker, making a plume of smoke erupt. In the cloud of smoke, the second explosive struck the other man's face, knocking him to the floor with a bloodied face.

The last standing man turned to see his comrade, wringing on the floor. He didn't notice as Xiang leaped out of the smoke and sliced through his neck. The man's head fell of his body with a thud and his body followed soon after. Xiang stared at the man rolling on the floor and ended his suffering with a stab to his heart.

Now the only thing remained was the girl but she was a considerable distance away from him. Xiang took out his bag full of firecrackers and lit them with sparks by carving his sword with a piece of metal. The makeshift wick from rope lit and he launched the firecrackers toward the girl. One hit her in the leg, knocking her to the ground. The rest began to fly right on top of her and in a rush of popping and crackling, a bloodied body was left in the aftermath.

Xiang looked around for his final task and snatched up a piece of technology he didn't know and he had several blueprints when he went into the storage room. His mission was done. Now he had to get rid of the evidence. Xiang took a walk over to one of the computers and found what he was looking for, the main control room.

Xiang made his way to the room, making sure to stay hidden as much as he could. He was in luck since there weren't many guards around which made sense, since he slaughtered over three-quarters of the entire complex's guards. The room was opened and he saw a few scientists in the room, doing their jobs.

Xiang walked in slowly and closed the door behind him. Needless to say, Xiang was now the only living person in that room as crimson painted the floor. The Cantonese teen began to do his work and found the self-destruct mechanism. The activated it and quickly made his way out of the room. He easily retraced his steps and found his way back to the initial corridor.

Making a dead run for the exit, he could hear the sounds of explosions from inside the castle. Xiang ran as fast as he could until he could see the moon's reflection off the lake. Finally, he made it out of the castle just as the stone building began to crumble in on itself.

Xiang walked away from the scene without looking back. He did what he had to. Got what he had to. Nothing went amiss so he breathed a bit easier. Mei was safe. At least, he hoped she would be.

* * *

><p>"How dare you not tell me about this mission!" Arthur bellowed.<p>

"It was a private matter Arthur-san. You should trust your assassin."

"I trust him. But what you just did made me trust you less."

"That is none of my concern. You should worry if your assassin passed this test. And even if he didn't, the girl would suffer, not him."

Arthur wanted to punch him. Right now. But he knew the consequences of that action. The Japanese man didn't know the value of life, relationships or love. What he was planning or threatening to do was monstrous. Arthur cared too much about Xiang to let such a shocking development get him. But he was out of his element. He couldn't do anything but be there to support Xiang if he needed it. He just hoped to hell that he wouldn't need it.

A knock at the door broke his train of thought and it opened. Xiang entered the room, seemingly unscathed and carrying a backpack with him. Arthur looked extremely relieved to see him okay. Kiku narrowed his eyes and kept his stern appearance.

"Did you succeed?"

"I did." Xiang removed his backpack and placed it in front of his desk. "What you wanted is in the bag along with blueprints for other technology."

"Hm… well done. You may leave."

Xiang bowed and left the room. Once the door closed, Arthur exhaled a sigh of relief. "See you never had to worry about—"

"How was it?" he interrupted.

Arthur looked confused but then out from the corner of his office, a young male stepped out with a wide grin on his face. "I saw and recorded everything as you requested."

"And is he hiding anything?"

"He performed well enough to get you the tech and kill the girl didn't he?" he asked, rhetorically.

"I don't care about that. Tell me about his mistakes."

"There was one. He just barely got scratched by a blade on his cheek."

Kiku grinned and turned to Arthur who stumbled back from the smile. "Well Arthur-san, tell me. Has your assassin ever gotten a single injury before?"

"No but—"

"No buts," he interrupted. "You know the cost of making mistakes in this kind of business. And we can't afford even the slightest slip ups."

"But Xiang—"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Arthur-san." Arthur tightened his lips. It was over.

Kiku turned to his computer and began to type up something and sent an email. "What did you just do?" Yong Soo asked, trying to peek.

"As if you don't know," Kiku smirked. "Mei Mei Wang must disappear."

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia<strong>

**A/n: what's up guys :D Another update and leaving you at a cliffhanger hehe. So a little explanation, Nesia was asked by one of my reviewers to make a brief cameo and I said, why not and it worked out really well since I needed someone unrelated to see the change in Xiang as a positive thing. Also to show that Xiang isn't the only assassin in the Organization but he is the top which means they only call on him for the important stuff worth millions because they know he doesn't make mistakes. Continuing on, assassins aren't the only part of the organization as you can see by Yong Soo's spy skills. Then some explanation on the fircrackers; those can be easily made by gunpowder, paper and a wick. Where the wick can be made via rope or any string that can hold a spark. Umm I think that's it. Hope you guys like the chapter despite the shortness but its really just to prepare you for what's next. 3 absolutely intense chapters.**

**Which brings me to my next note, these three might take a little longer than the rest because I want them to be really good. Also I'm just getting settled into college so I have no idea what to expect so updates may vary. I can promise you though that I will never stop writing so please keep reading and reviewing :) Bye for now my dear readers.**


	15. Chapter 15: Agonizing Affliction

_Even the strongest love spawns the greatest hate and gives birth to pain, creating another trial of growth_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 15:**_

_**Agonizing Affliction**_

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The bright morning filled Mei with a new sort of energy that could only be provided by such a perfect beginning to the day. Unfortunately, beginnings were always complicated when you had a big day ahead of you. Mei tried to look to the brighter side of her day right now. It was hard to look forward to working for your brother in his restaurant for the entire day when you could be spending time doing something fun.

Her beloved boyfriend had insisted that she work with her brother because it was thoughtful and he did need the help since he was short staffed right now. So the brighter side of the day was Xiang walking her to work. They could have taken a car but the two wanted the extra time together.

"So Xiang, what are you going to do without me around for the day?" she asked.

"Hm… maybe just work out or something. Schools out for vacation after all."

"Right."

"And maybe go to a certain restaurant and see a cute waitress," he smirked.

"Oh, I think she'd like that," she giggled.

The two's little talk changed as they entered the bustling restaurant's main dining room. The room was absolutely packed with families and people and waiters and servers were rushing out to get orders and give food while all at once being polite as possible. The two somehow managed to snake their way through the crowd of people and ended up in the more private quarters of the restaurant. Here, service was much more discrete, giving privacy to any who wanted it. Usually only VIP's wanted this sort of privacy and it was said there was more of a selection here.

Xiang turned to Mei and gave her a small smile. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course," she smiled. Mei stepped forward and gave Xiang a hug. The boy returned it but the both of them didn't let go even as the minutes ticked away. "I hate saying goodbye…"

"Then don't. Just think of it as a word that just starts the time when we meet again."

"That's an interesting way to think of it." Mei smiled and leaned forward and gave him a kiss.

Instead of the short kiss she was expected, Xiang quickly deepened it and she returned the intensity. Mei moaned slightly as he moved his lips against hers, a strange feeling starting to burn inside of her. Before she could explore this feeling, the sound of her brother extinguished it.

"Aiyah! Every time I see you with my sister, I see you ravaging her."

Xiang pulled back with a frown and Mei blushed as she tried to defend him. "We were just kissing!"

"Just kissing ~aru," he scoffed. "Well we have work to do so you can be on your way Xiang."

The Cantonese boy bowed to the elder and gave Mei a smile before he left. Mei sighed as she followed Yao into the kitchen so she could change into the uniform. Her brother could be such a mood killer.

* * *

><p>Mei sighed as she stretched out from the long day of work. The restaurant was busy as usual and despite the skill of the staff, that didn't make her job any easier. The only relief she saw during the entire day was when Xiang came in for lunch and Mei just happened to be on her break so the two were able to eat together. Mei began to straighten out her clothes as she waited for Xiang to respond to her text. After she was done and her signature pink qipao and white skirt were smoothed out, she went outside the restaurant. Mei looked at her phone again and saw Xiang's response and she'd only have to wait a few minutes.<p>

As Mei waited, the girl stared up into the sky and saw how lovely the night was and the glimmering stars that shined in the sky. As her eyes passed over them, she remembered something and reached into her pocket and took out a golden locket. She smiled as she brushed her thumb over the smooth metal and thought about what she put into it. Something irreplaceable to her.

Mei began to put her locket on when the sound of tires screeching against the pavement caught her attention and she shoved her locket back into her purse for safekeeping. She titled her head and wondered. Whoever was driving that black van must've been in some hurry. But as the doors opened and two large men and a woman stepped out, she knew something was wrong. The doors behind them were shut loudly and they began to walk toward her.

Mei began to back up and wished she were at the front of the restaurant. But it was late and there was no one around. The two men were your typical large and burly guards. But the woman's appearance made Mei disgusted. She was dressed in a very tiny outfit that was hugged extremely tightly around her body and her brown hair hung just past her shoulders onto the exposed skin of her shoulders.

"Is that her?" one of the men asked.

"Of course it is you idiot! We were given these exact locations by the spy and just look at her." The woman took a moment to scan Mei from head to toe. "To be honest though, I don't know why the top assassin would fall for such a plain looking girl. She should be baby compared to what we deal with."

"Hey! Who are you calling a baby?" Mei exclaimed.

"I was talking to you, brat."

"You're one to talk. You don't look any older than me but probably wear all those slut clothes to make yourself look older."

"What did you call me?" she scowled.

"A slut. S-L-U-T. Or did you drop out of school too?"

The woman growled. "That's it. Get her!"

The two men charged for Mei but the girl easily sweep past them and kicked both of them in the back at the same time. The men didn't seem fazed by the move and continued to chase after Mei. Mei took a fighting stance and as one of the men tried to grab her, she took his arm and flipped him to the ground and spun around with a kick to the other man's gut. As the man staggered back, holding his stomach, Mei took out a can from her purse and sprayed it at the man's face. In a few seconds, the man cried out and went to cover his eyes.

"Hm, never thought I'd have to use this pepper spray."

As Mei turned around, the woman made a frantic charge toward her. Mei stuffed the spray back in her bag and made an uppercut toward her jaw. The fist connected, knocking the woman back but Mei didn't stop there. She now began a barrage of attacks toward the woman and Mei knew exactly where to hit because of the exposed skin. But at the same time, Mei really didn't want to be touching her because she didn't have any idea where the female had been.

After a few minutes, the woman was knocked flat on her back, covered in bruises. The female made a struggle to lift her head and look at Mei. "Damn y-you…"

Mei smiled with pride that she successfully defended herself. But her smile was short lived as one of the men came up from behind her and held her with a bear hug. Mei began to scream and kick in an attempt to free herself but the man wouldn't let go. As she continued to struggle, her purse fell to the ground but that was the least of her concern. In the time she was being held, the other man staggered back over to them and pulled out a cloth and pressed it against her mouth.

Mei immediately smelled the chloroform invading her senses. The girl's eye sight began to dim and blacken as she saw the other woman getting up. The men began to drag her to the van but just as her eye sight faded, she saw someone running toward her.

_Xiang_

* * *

><p>He didn't know what was going on but there wasn't any time to think. Only act.<p>

Xiang was coming to pick up Mei when he saw two large men and a woman dragging Mei off into their van. Just as Xiang got within a block of them, the van was thrown into high gear and they took off immediately. Xiang quickly took a picture of the van within his mind, making sure not to lose it. He continued to run when he spotted Mei's dropped purse. The Cantonese teen continued to run and snatched the purse up and began to ruffle through it for anything he could use. He prayed she kept the things he told her to always keep with her.

Xiang spotted a few things and was only relieved slightly. Xiang tied the purse to his side, ignoring the color of it and the comments he was getting as he ran passed people. As the van grew further and further away, Xiang acted fast and stopped. He stared in front of the street and looked to the side. A car was driving up and in a flash; Xiang leaped onto the hood of the car and felt his body's change in the speed. Luckily, whoever the driver was was blasting their music and didn't hear Xiang's feet dig into the roof of his car.

As the car sped across the streets, Xiang could see the van in the distance. But the car was moving far too slow for him to catch up to their speed. Xiang glanced around and saw another car, driving much faster. He was obviously speeding but Xiang didn't care as he hopped onto it. Now they were making progress.

As Xiang continued to follow them with his car hopping, one of the men seemed to notice and started to take evasive action. The van took a sharp turn onto the freeway but fortunately, the car Xiang was riding also turned onto the freeway, albeit not as fast. The ramp made a steep climb and Xiang had to punch a hole into the ceiling and hold onto it to keep himself on top.

The lights of the city rushed passed him as the wind blew into his face once he reached onto the leveled freeway. All types of cars raced passed him and he took the chance to get onto one. Xiang easily spotted the van out of the hundreds of other cars because of the hastiness of each change in lane the van made. Now that there were so many cars surrounding him, he had his chance. Xiang took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes.

In a swift motion, Xiang began to leap from car to car as he chased after the van. Xiang had to be absolutely perfect in his timing or else he'd lose time and he would miss the opportunity to get onto the roof of the cars. Despite his care, Xiang was making a rush toward the black vehicle and was unrelenting in his stops. After a few seconds of car hopping, he got used to the motion and started to move in a fluid pace from car to car and after only a minute, he was just a few feet away from the van.

But as he leaped for the van, the vehicle made a sharp turn off the freeway and Xiang's hand just barely caught the roof of the van. Xiang felt his grip loosening from the smooth roof and used his free hand to dig through Mei's purse. After a moment, he removed the short grappling hook he gave her and impaled the roof of the car with it. When they reached the streets once again, Xiang allowed himself to fall and he rolled onto the pavement of the sidewalk.

The teen made a quick glance around, knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep up with the van at this rate and the rope was running out quick. Xiang saw a guy riding down with his skateboard and Xiang quickly got to his feet and knocked the guy off his board. Before the guy could curse at Xiang, the Cantonese teen threw out a thousand dollars to the guy.

"Keep the change."

Xiang quickly hopped onto the board and held onto the rope. Within seconds, he was pulled off and now there was no way he was losing the van. The people the van must've noticed as one of the men popped their heads out of the car but his eyes were squinted and twitchy. From the looks of it, Mei had pepper sprayed him and he still wasn't completely recovered. The guy took out a gun and began to fire at Xiang. The man was a horrible shot as his bullets whizzed by Xiang without so much as threatening him.

Xiang took the opportunity to take an offensive and removed a gun from his jacket. With one hand holding onto the rope, he took aim and shot directly at the man's head. The bullet ran through the air like it was locked onto his face and when it hit, the man's body went limp as it hung outside the window. Now that he wasn't being bothered, Xiang began to drag himself closer to the van by shortening the rope.

Just as a few meters separated him from the van, he could hear a loud mouthed woman barking out orders and suddenly, the dead man's body was flung out the window and nearly hit Xiang but before the body reached him, Xiang maneuvered out of the way and continued to close the distance between the van and himself. Before Xiang knew it, a woman popped her head out from the window of the car and began to fire. But instead of aiming for Xiang, she shot at the rope.

Xiang knew it was over for the rope when a bullet scraped the side of the cord and it began to snap. Xiang cursed but before the line broke, he made sure to imprint the image of the woman's face within his memory. It wasn't a pleasant image in the least but when he searched his memory, he remembered seeing her before at the Organization.

As the woman went back into the car, the line finally broke and Xiang was sent flying down the street as the car made a sharp turn around. As they passed by Xiang, he could see through the window was Mei tied up in the back of the van. The image lasted only a second as he flew down and hill and came crashing into a park. Xiang fell off the skateboard and came rolling into the grass until he finally came to a stop.

Xiang quickly got to his feet to scan the streets but the van was gone. And there was no way to tell where it was heading. Xiang punched the ground in fury until his knuckles became raw from hitting the surface.

Xiang stared into the ground, his fury wasted as he felt the hopelessness wash over him. He then felt something hitting his side and he saw the purse swinging back and forth from his previous movements against the ground. Xiang slowly removed the purse from his side and looked into it. Something glimmering caught his eye and he slowly took it out.

Mei's locket.

He remembered the object quite well. It was something precious to Mei. At the time he didn't understand at all what something like that meant. But now he did. Mei was irreplaceable to him. Xiang smoothed his thumb over the surface and noticed a switch at the side. He remembered Mei saying that she hadn't found anything to place in it yet and out of curiosity, he opened it.

The image made his eyes turn wide. It was a picture. A picture of him and her. It was when they went to the carnival together and went into that photo booth. At the time the two of them weren't officially together yet she kissed him on the cheek despite that. He touched his cheek and felt something damp run over it. Tears.

Xiang closed the locket and pressed it against his heart. Xiang let the tears fall onto the ground as he let out all his sorrows. And after a few minutes the tears ran dry and Xiang began to breathe easier. Then, he tightened his grip on the locket and in a quick motion he faced the sky and screamed. His roar wasn't just letting out suppressed emotions. It was a declaration. He would find Mei. And he'd make sure the people who took her would pay. Pay with their lives.

* * *

><p>The atmosphere of the building seemed to be the same as always. Everyone moving around and performing their duties for the sake of the organization. However, this wasn't the case. A nervous and furious Brit marched down the hallways to the leader of the organization's headquarters. He burst through the door, disrupting the man's work as he lifted his head to meet his gaze.<p>

"Kiku! What have you done!"

The Japanese man gave him a curious stare before answering. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me Kiku! Why did you kidnap that girl!"

Kiku stared at him for a moment before he realized who he was referring to. "Oh that. It's very simple Arthur-san. She was distracting our top assassin and his performance has been dropping because of it. And we can't have that, can we?"

"With all respect, you're being a fool! I thought you wouldn't actually do something like this but… you did! You have no idea what you've just done!"

"I am aware of all the scenarios, Arthur-san. Please do not raise your voice when you don't understand."

"I don't understand? I understand better than anyone. We're all going to be killed because of what you've done."

"That's ridiculous. Explain yourself."

"Xiang will come. He knows it's the Organization who did this. He'll want revenge and his revenge will destroy us all."

"Calm yourself Arthur-san. It is highly unlikely that an eighteen-year old boy can destroy an entire organization. Don't forget that we have our power as well."

"You don't understand what he's capable of. He hasn't shown any of you what his rage is. You've only seen him just as he is; his stoic and emotionless state. When he's angry, he's a monster."

"What are you talking about? Are you saying that he's capable of even more than we have seen of him?"

"Yes I am. None of you have seen it, but I have. Only once and I'll never forget it. I'm not sure what caused his anger but his expression completely changed when I saw it. It was like looking into a demon's eyes. Just his very presence spelt destruction. But I'm technically not the only one who saw. The others… they saw."

"Who are these others?"

"They, I assume, were the ones to cause it. But you can't speak to them anymore."

"I'm sure I could find them."

"Because of what you've done, you'll meet them soon… They're all dead."

Kiku seemed unaffected by the news. "Don't try and change what I've done Arthur-san. There's no changing the fact that we did what we did. Besides, that girl is no longer in our possession; the one in charge of her kidnap has already sold her. If you're so worried about a boy then since he's your creation, you take care of him."

"I'm not going to do that to him or to myself. If I try to oppose him, he'll kill me. And even if he didn't, it would kill me to do that to him. I've seen that he's changed because of this girl and even if I did train him and treated him like an object, I feel responsible for him and his life. And it's about time I started treating him right."

"Enough with this nonsense Arthur-san. You will do what you have to or else."

"I pick or else. You're not going to turn me against him."

"Very well then." Kiku pressed a button on his desk and immediately guards came in and grabbed hold of Arthur.

"Hey! Let me go!"

"I think not Arthur-san. I'm sorry to do this to you but if you don't obey me then you'll have to disappear. You know too much about us to just walk away."

Arthur's heels dug into the floor as they dragged him out of Kiku's room but he continually shouted out his name. Kiku only shrugged it off and turned to look out his window. He then pressed his message system. "I want a message to be sent to Francis… and tell him to increase security; just as a precaution."

* * *

><p>Arthur struggled against the men that held his arms but once he knew they had no intention of letting him go, he stopped. "Okay, okay, I get it. You gits can let me go now." The men seemed hesitant at letting him go. "Come on now. I'm just an office worker. What could I do against you two large men?"<p>

Arthur's reasoning seemed to be enough for the two and they released him. Arthur rubbed his arms, getting the feeling back into them. But just as they were about to continue walking, Arthur quickly grabbed one of the men and threw him into the other with a flip. He swiftly took out a gun and shot both of them in their heads.

"Idiots. I trained the most deadly assassin the Organization has and they thought they could take me? Rubbish." Arthur put away his gun and made a run out of the building. He knew that killing those two meant he turned his back on the Organization but he didn't care. Kiku was probably going to have him killed in any case. The important thing now was to make sure Xiang didn't have anything else to worry about.

He knew the assassin would come find his love and he would take down anyone in his path. Arthur wasn't stupid enough to stand in the way of that. But he did know that the girl had a brother. And if anything happened to him, it would just be another factor that could harm Xiang. So now when he had the head start, he would go find the man and take him into hiding until he could contact Xiang.

And Arthur had a few advantages. One being he was the one appointed to research the Chinese man and he didn't report anything he found yet. And two, he was the only one who knew where Xiang's private quarters were.

* * *

><p>Yao paced around his house incredibly worried. He hadn't heard from Mei in hours and he was sure she went with Xiang. True Yao didn't love the boy but he trusted him to take care of Mei. But at this moment, he didn't hear a word from either of them and he was a worried wreck. If anything happened to Mei, he would be devastated. And also he would feel guilty.<p>

He was her older brother. He was supposed to protect her but he couldn't. And he wouldn't be able to if something did happen. That's why he trusted Xiang. There was something about him that made him look strong but his kind eyes were directed only to Mei. So whatever happened, it was beyond the boy's control.

As Yao continued to think about the situation, the sudden ringing of his door bell broke his train of thought. Yao rushed over to the door, hoping it was Mei or Xiang. When he opened the door, a blond headed man with emerald eyes rushed in and closed the door behind him.

"Who are you! And why did you just barge into my home? ~aru" he demanded.

"Please be quiet and be patient. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Arthur Kirkland."

"I don't care who you are ~aru. Explain to me what you're doing here?"

"I'll explain but we don't have much time. I know Xiang and something's happened."

"What do you mean? ~aru"

"Mei's been kidnapped."

"What! How do you know that? ~aru"

"Because I know the people who took her and—"

"You knew them!" he interrupted. "Why didn't you stop them then! Or a better statement to say is, since you knew them, you must've been part of them ~aru."

"No! Bloody hell. Let me explain before you interrupt me. I didn't know that they were going to kidnap the girl. But there's nothing we can do about it right now. I know what you're thinking and the police won't be able to do anything. Right now we have to trust Xiang to save her and—"

"Trust Xiang? I trusted him to keep her safe and now she's kidnapped! And he's just a boy, what can he do?"

"It wasn't his fault. Understand that he loves her and he would never let anything happen to her if it was within his power. But right now, we have to trust him to do what he has to. And right now, we need to get you out of here."

"Get me out of here? ~aru Why would you need to do that?"

"Because a dangerous organization is going to come after you because of your connection to Mei. I'll explain on the way. Just trust me."

Yao stared at Arthur for a long time as he offered his hand to him. Yao wasn't sure what to make of this entire situation. But what he did understand was his sister was in danger and he needed answers. And right now, this Englishman was the only one who could provide them.

Yao lifted his hand and placed it in Arthur's. "You better explain. ~aru"

* * *

><p>When Yao accepted his hand, Arthur quickly took him out of the house but through the back instead of the front. From the corner of his eye, he saw several cars pull up in the front and he had to avoid an encounter or risk getting Yao involved. And also, he wasn't Xiang. He couldn't take on entire force by himself with only a pistol.<p>

Yao was obedient as he followed Arthur's exact orders. The two climbed the fence and made their way out to the street on the other side of the block. But during the entire thing, Arthur just happened to tip off the cops to what was going on and he could already hear the sirens coming to get the Organization members.

Once Arthur checked to be sure no one was around, he led Yao to his car and the two quickly drove off from the area. It was now when Arthur began to explain everything. Why Mei was kidnapped and who Xiang really was and what he did for a living. There wasn't any reason to hide the information anymore since he wasn't part of the Organization anymore. To be honest, it was a relief to tell someone the secrets but at the same time, he wished he didn't have to.

Yao didn't make a single sound as Arthur explained everything. Rather, the Chinese man was shocked to hear what he wanted to know. It was so much to take in and understand but he tried. After half an hour passed, Arthur finished his explanation and they arrived at a small home. Arthur parked the car in the driveway and got out. Yao followed wordlessly and into the house.

Arthur turned around and saw the state Yao was in and helped him into a chair. Yao sat limp in the chair, staring at his lap. Arthur disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a tea pot and two cups. He poured Yao one and began to sip his own.

Yao looked at the steamy cup and took a sip. He felt warmth of the tea flow into his body and warm his chilling bones. He smiled at him. "Thank you. ~aru"

"It's not a problem. I always drink tea to calm myself and thought it'd help you too."

"Tea is amazing ~aru."

"It is," Arthur said, sipping his tea again.

Yao held the cup in both his hands and looked around the small home. "So this is your place?"

"Yes. It's not much but its home."

"I see. It seems a bit lonely here. ~aru"

"In a way I guess. I don't spend much of my time here because of work so I never thought of living with anyone. But now that I think about it, it is pretty lonely."

"You don't have any friends?"

"No," he answered. "But it's not like anyone would be my friend. I never got out much. All I did was work so there was never any chance for those sort of things. But I always wondered what it would be like to have a friend. The closest person I got is Xiang and he's like a son to me." A small smile appeared on Arthur's face which warmed Yao's heart but it then turned into a sad smile. "But the things I've done to him and put him through… I can never take that back."

"I'm sure he'll forgive you. ~aru"

"I'm not too sure about that."

"Nonsense, he's been with you for this long. If he hated you then he wouldn't have trusted you to keep his secret about Mei. And everyone deserves a second chance. ~aru"

Arthur smiled honestly at Yao. "Thanks… I needed to hear that."

Yao smiled brightly. "What are friends for? ~aru"

* * *

><p>Mei stirred as she began to regain consciousness. She groaned as she turned over on the cold ground. She then remembered what happened when she was still awake and her eyes quickly snapped open. Wherever she was, it was too dark for her to see anything. All she could make out was her hands were bound behind her back with rope. She struggled against the cords but the only thing she got out of it was the rope digging into her wrists.<p>

The door suddenly opened, exposing a ray of light that blinded Mei slightly. A large man opened the door and looked like a silhouette behind the light. "Oh you're finally awake."

Mei tightened her lips as the man walked in. She wasn't going to say anything to him. She knew it was a pointless effort and it'd probably please him to have a reaction out of her. The man walked behind her and lifted her up and pushed her out of the closet of a hallway.

"Let's get going now. You have someone to meet."

Mei was shoved forward and she started to walk. The man kept a close distance behind her, probably like a watch dog. As they continued to walk, Mei tried to see where she was and where ever it was, she was on a high building because she could see the lights of the entire city. The hallways were a simple design and every door that hung on the walls were all the same. Nothing told them apart so whoever tried to escape would most certainly get lost if they weren't careful.

Regardless, Mei was planning to escape no matter what. She just needed her chance. As the guard continued leading her down the hallway, Mei tried tugging at the rope again and it was still as tight as ever. But she then remembered a trick Xiang had taught her and hoped her body was capable of doing it. But right now, she had to wait. The guard was so close that if she did get loose, she would just get captured again.

As she plotted her escape, Mei didn't realize that they stopped in front of a door. The door opened and Mei was pushed inside. Sitting at a wooden table at the other end of the room was a tall rugged Frenchman. His blond hair was tied into a pony tail and hung behind him. The male looked up and smirked.

"Ah, so this is the one Kiku sent us?" The man spoke in a suave and hard French accent.

The man nodded and the Frenchman stood out of his seat and walked over to Mei. Mei could smell the cologne coming off from him and it made her want to gag. The male raised his hand and grabbed Mei by her chin and began to observe her facial features. "Such an innocent face yet a strong one too." Just as a grin began to develop on his face, Mei spat into it.

He instantly pulled away and slapped her across the face. "How dare you!"

Mei didn't falter as she glared back at him. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of any answer. The Frenchman growled and went back to his desk. "Take her away but make sure she isn't scarred. And also, remember not to take her virginity during the training. Our buyers won't pay as much then."

Mei's eyes grew wide when she realized what this place was. They were trafficking people as sex slaves.

The man nodded at the orders and took Mei out of the room. The two started at a different route now and Mei knew what to expect. As they continued to walk, she thought quickly about what to do. She only had so much time before more people showed up to restrain her and if she was locked up, she was out of chances.

"Could I use the bathroom?" she asked. True it was one of the oldest excuses in the book but she didn't have any other ideas.

"Nice try. I know that trick." Mei sighed; at least she gave it a try.

As they began to make a turn at the corner of the hallway, Mei quickly spun around and kicked the man straight in his groin. The man let out a cry as he broke down, holding it in pain. Mei raised her leg and kicked him in the chin, knocking him back and into the window. He slammed against it but the glass only cracked. Mei didn't stop as she rushed him and tackled him through the glass. The man flew out of the window with a scream that echoed throughout the hallways.

Mei didn't have much time now since she just did that. The girl took a deep breath, loosening her muscles and quickly jumped into the air and bended her knees over her arms. Her hands were now in front of her even though they were still tied together. Mei went over to the broken glass and used a shard to cut the rope. The cords fell to the ground in a perfect circle and she rubbed her wrists.

She didn't have time to enjoy her freedom as she raced down the hallway. She had to escape before anything else happened. As she ran down the hallways, she tried finding any signs of stairs or an elevator but she didn't spot anything. And she was far too afraid to try any of the doors. There was no telling what was behind them so she continued to run until a single door stood apart from any of the rest.

She stopped in front of it and debated on opening it. It could be a trap but then again, the place was meant for the guards to roam so they would have to have some place to go to in order to get in and out. Mei held her breath as she reached out for the handle. In a twist of the knob, the door opened and she saw her escape route. In front of her were elevators.

Mei quickly ran over to them and looked at the things. It was risky to take any of them because she could be intercepted by anyone else who rode it. She then noticed at a corner of the room were the stairs. That was her safest bet. Mei ran over to them and began to run down, being careful not to trip in her haste. As she ran down the place, she was thankful that there weren't any people around but it made her even more cautious. It was just too strange. Anyone should have heard that scream when the man fell out of the window and there would certainly be someone trying to clean up his body.

As Mei continued down the stairs, she finally reached the second floor and stopped at it. There was no way she was going to the bottom floor. She was sure there would be someone down there so she had to look for the emergency exit. Every building should have one. Mei entered the second floor and instantly saw the change in scene.

The hallways were much wider and the hallways were more decorated. The appearance was all for the sake of pleasing someone. It fit with the trafficking people theme. Mei tried to ignore it and ran down the hallways. If people actually came by here, then there must be an exit. As she ran, a corner of the hall caught her attention. A phone.

She stopped in front of it and held it to her ear. It was an actual phone. Mei acted quickly and dialed a number. After a few seconds, the other side picked up.

"Xiang! Is this you? Please tell me it's you."

"M-Mei? Is that really you?"

"Yes! Xiang listen, I don't know where I am right now but I got away for a minute."

"Go hide! I'm coming to find you right now but there's no telling what they'll do to you."

"I'm in some large building and they're trafficking people Xiang. And I think I'm going to be one of them."

"I'm not going to let that happen. Just stay safe and I'll come get you."

"Xiang—" Mei suddenly felt a surge of electricity run through her body and she fell forward as her world turned black.

"Mei? Mei!"

A low laugh was heard as the phone was picked up. "You'll never find her." Before Xiang could respond, the man slammed the phone back into the table and ripped the cord out of the wall. The Frenchman stared down at Mei's unconscious body and sighed. "I'm going to have to move you to a different building now. But at least the feisty ones are always worth the most, once they're broken."

* * *

><p>The bar's atmosphere was filled with the typical loud and obnoxious folk. The other thing that rivaled the people was the music. The songs playing erupted from stereos at a horribly high volume. But this was only the front of the house; in the back rooms were the VIP's who were well known and wanted privacy. That or they usually paid to get their way in. and that was the case for one in particular, and her presence was an eyesore for any of the other guests.<p>

The woman's voice exploded through the usually quiet room. For the past three hours, she was ordering drinks and demanding for men to parade around her booth. Besides barking orders to people, her cackling laugh was even more obnoxious as it reached further out into the other room. But her manners had to be ignored for two reasons and only those two reasons. She had paid for guards which were extremely huge. And the second reason was money.

The woman was flaunting huge sums of the bills in order to keep her spot at the booth. It was ridiculous to be spending that much money on just one night but the girl didn't care. She always wanted to live like that, having enough money to do whatever she wanted and no one could stop her. And if they did, people were easily swayed by power and greed. And she was able to offer both.

As she was the loudest person talking and laughing, she didn't notice when the entire room went deathly silent. Even the music outside came to a halt and the people all were frozen. After a few seconds, she needed to catch her breath and that's when she noticed the change. She spun her head around the place, trying to figure out what was going on. In the distance at the entrance of the club, she could see the people parting their way and opening a path up. When she squinted her eyes to get a better look, she scoffed. It was just one guy.

"Hey! What's going on! Turn the music back up."

The woman was oblivious in her greed and power. Everyone else could feel the deathly aura radiating from the one male as he walked slowly into the bar. No one dared crossed his path as they tried to back away from him. Soon enough, the male was within reach of the private rooms and the woman snapped her fingers. She had to snap them twice to get her guards attention to get ready for anything. Two of them went behind the male and the other two stayed at her side.

"Who do you think you're messing with? You don't just interrupt my night and get away with it. I'm packing a lot of money tonight because of a job I pulled earlier."

The voice that answered her struck fear into her guards. It wasn't loud or fearsome but the chill coming from that monotone voice did the trick. "You're name is Becca. Isn't it?"

"Y-yeah it is but what's it to you."

"Tell me where she is."

"Okay, I don't know who you are or what you're talking about so either get the hell out of here or I'll make them take you out."

When the male remained unresponsive, Becca motioned the men to go at him. As they began to move, the figure lifted his head from the shadows of his coat and his golden eyes paralyzed the men. Quietly, he reached into his pocket and the guards readied their guns. But instead of seeing any sort of fire arm, the male threw out four large stacks of money. One for each of the guards.

"Take it and leave. Now." The guards didn't question the order and took off. For a second, they almost forgot they could have gotten money out of it.

"Hey get back here!" Becca yelled.

The male walked closer to her and in an instant, he grabbed her by the neck and pulled her out of her seat and into the air without any sort of struggle on his part. "I'll ask again. Where is she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about! Let me go!" she screamed. "Who are you!" she demanded.

"That was your last chance." The male finally uncovered his face and this time, his looks had Becca unable to respond.

"X-Xiang…" she uttered.

The assassin's eyes were cold and unmoving as they stared at her. But instead of the golden eyes she saw only moments before; they were darkened to a deathly color. His face was different from before. Much different than she had ever seen. Just from the sight of it made her want to cower into a corner. In an instant, Xiang slammed her body into the table, head first. The table cracked under the pressure and crumbled as she fell along with it.

The woman was knocked out cold just from the impact. Xiang grabbed her arms and began to drag her out of the place. No one said a word as she was taken out. Frankly, they were thankful she was being taken away. Becca was knocked out and hurt to be sure but she wasn't dead. Xiang made sure not to use his full strength but just enough to make sure she stayed unconscious. But by the time he was done with her, several things would be done. He would get wanted he wanted to know. She would be begging him and regretting ever crossing his path. And some of his bloodlust would be satisfied.

* * *

><p>The warehouse was dark and filled with the strangest devices and the most deadly as well. Only a few lamps were turned on to illuminate the dreadful storehouse but it was better that way. Xiang began to clean off some of his guns as he waited for the woman to wake up. But he was impatient. He would give her another minute and if she didn't wake up, he would start regardless.<p>

The minute passed.

Xiang sat up from his chair and walked over to the glass tank. He pressed his hand against the smooth glass and could feel the heat surging from the water inside of it. And it was only getting hotter since Xiang set a heater under it. He wasn't worried about the glass shattering because he slowly heated it up so by now it wouldn't make a difference if he heated it up quickly. But the tank alone wasn't what Xiang had set up.

Resting right above the said tank was a wooden chair. And the female tied to it was still soundly unconscious. Seeing her face in such an apathetic appearance boiled his anger. Xiang walked over to the crane mechanism he set up and started the controls. It was just like a giant sized version of the crane skill game. And Xiang never failed at it.

In a quick motion, he slammed the release button and Becca fell into the tank. In an instant, the girl's eyes snapped opened as a silent scream bubbled out of the boiling liquid. Xiang pressed the button again and the chair and she were lifted out of the water. When she came out, her skin was lobster red from the heat and she was coughing madly from the water rushing into her lungs. And after a few seconds, she could breathe again but it was hardly an easy trade of air.

"You're awake finally," Xiang commented. It was good. He wanted her to be awake for her punishment.

In a flash, Xiang repeated his previous action and slammed onto the button once again and Becca was dropped into the tank once more. Even though she expected it, the pain was all the same. The searing pain from the water poaching her entire being as she felt the temperature eat away at her was amusing to Xiang. But it was better when she screamed from the raging water since she drowned at the same time. After a few seconds of leaving her in the water, he pressed the button again and she was pulled out.

This time, Xiang could see the steam leaving off her bare skin as her drenched clothes stuck to her body. She was probably either thankful for not wearing any more clothes since she would be even warmer or cursing since the water came in contact with more of her skin. Xiang preferred the latter but either way, he knew she suffered.

Instead of dropping her again, Xiang maneuvered the crane to place her in front of him. The woman was twitching madly when she finally reached the ground and even then, her body shook from the enormous heat it came in contact with. Xiang disregarded this and reached into his pocket to pull out two metal rods. The assassin banged them against each other which made Becca's attention focused on the two objects and him.

"Now that I have your attention, let's talk. Where is she?"

"I-I'm never going to tell you," she spat.

Xiang shook his head and quickly slapped her across the face with his hand. Becca felt the sting sink into her cheek but also the blood that ran from her mouth trailed out. Xiang's eyes were still darkened and it didn't look like there were going to lighten any time soon. He was dead serious.

"Should I repeat myself?"

"N-never go-going to t-tell you…"

Xiang didn't even give any sign to what he did next. In a swift motion, he raised both of his hands and stabbed her thighs which the rods. Becca screamed in pain from the imbedded metal but Xiang quickly silenced her with another hard slap to her face. Becca stopped her screaming but bit against her lip to hold the scream and endure the fresh pain inflicted to her. She was biting down so hard that it drew more blood.

Xiang didn't even bother asking her as he went over to a table. The Cantonese teen removed a large battery cell from the surface and brought it over in front of Becca. He then took two cable wires and connected it to the cell and then to the rods. Becca's eyes widened when she realized what the rods were meant for.

"You better speak up," Xiang said.

He then flipped the switch and the electricity came rushing into the female's body. She screamed out in pain but Xiang quickly flipped the switch back off. He waited and waited and then he turned it back on. He continued this process as the electricity began to fry her insides and hit every single one of her nerves, resulting in an immeasurable amount of agony. Xiang shut it off once more and looked at the female.

Her breaths were heavy as she panted and she barely remained conscious. She wanted to pass out but Xiang wouldn't let her. The pain he continually inflicted kept her wide awake. Becca stared at the hand Xiang had been using to flip the switch on and off. When it began to move toward the switch, her body screamed at her. Begged for no more of the torture.

"Stop!" she screamed. "She's being held by Francis Bonnefoy! They're in the city! I'll tell you whatever you want!"

Xiang pulled his hand back and looked at her. "How do I know you aren't lying to me?"

"I'm not! I'll tell you anything. Please no more!" she begged.

"I see." Xiang reached over to the rods in her thighs and quickly yanked both of them out.

Becca screamed as the objects left and blood flowed out from the two holes in her thighs. Xiang swiftly swung his leg into the chair and shattered it into splinters, knocking Becca to the ground but at the same time, freeing her. The female groaned as she staggered to move her body. Any twitch or movement she made resulted in more pain.

She began to crawl away from Xiang, seeing the exit at the other side of the warehouse. As Xiang turned his back away from her and made his way over to the table. The sounds of his footsteps made her glance back and she saw him. The way he casually walked like her life was nothing. She felt an indiscernible rage well up within her and she struggled to stand up and then she shouted at him.

"You'll never get her back! You're going up against the entire organization! She's gone and there's nothing you can do about it!" Becca wanted him to feel hopelessness. She wanted him to suffer like what he did to her.

Xiang grabbed something off the table and turned to her. "You know nothing." Xiang held up a shotgun at her and pulled the trigger blowing off her leg and making her crash to the ground. The female made a gasping sound as she rolled over onto her stomach. Xiang only reloaded the gun and blew off her other limb. She couldn't even move anymore but she was still alive. He could hear her breathing.

Xiang slowly walked over to her and kicked her over so she was on her back. Her eyes were full and almost lost as she stared up. Xiang shoved the gun into her mouth and fired. Her head exploded and covered the concrete ground and Xiang discarded the gun in disgust.

Xiang began to walk away from the warehouse until he was finally out of the place. He then pulled out a little switch from his pocket and pressed it. In an instant, the warehouse exploded and rubble and shrapnel flew in all directions. The burst from the explosion blew past Xiang as he walked toward his car.

Before he got into his ride, he looked back at the destroyed warehouse. He got what he needed to know. And what Becca said to him meant nothing to him. He made a vow when he saw what was in Mei's locket.

"Even if I have to dive deeper into the darkness, into the depth of the nightmare, I'll bring my world back."

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia. Just the plot. <strong>

**A/n: Hey guys! I never expected to update so soon but when I started writing this chapter, it just all came so easily to me. And here you have one of the chapters I've been dying to write. Sorry if the intensity was too much for some of you guys but that's how it goes in this story. Lots of violence but romance as well. So anyway, the Organization has finally made their move and alliances have changed as you can see. Arthur and Yao finally meet and I'll just leave it to your guys' imaginations till later ;) Yes Francis is the leader of the sex slave thing. (wasn't much of a surprise right?) And now you see what Xiang can do when he's angry but this is only a fraction of what to expect so stay tuned for 17 because that's when all that rage will be released. Well overall, I hope you guys enjoyed reading it and thank you for staying with me for this long because I really wanted to get to this chapter. Bye for now and don't forget to review! They're always appreciated.**


	16. Chapter 16: Reverie of Betrayal

_After a dramatic incident, memories and buried deep within one's self but the barrier starts to crack as time flows and a sudden wave of nostalgia washes over the mind, diving into a sea of memories_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 16:**_

_**Reverie of Betrayal**_

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"You really don't have to help out you know?"

"Nonsense ~aru. I'm a guest here so I'll help. Plus I'd really prefer it if I did all the cooking."

Arthur chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah I agree. My cooking isn't good for others."

"I'm not going to deny that ~aru," he admitted.

Arthur smiled and leaned back into his chair as he looked at his steaming cup of tea. It was so odd. He was connected to Yao far too well in the past week. Well nearly a week. At first it was hard for the both of them. Arthur couldn't stand just sitting around when Xiang was risking his life out there to find Mei. But he couldn't do much. All his connections were cut since leaving the Organization. But he was strong and kept patient and watching the news, the paper and the internet for any sign of Xiang's actions. Nothing so far but Arthur would know when Xiang made his move. It would be that big.

Yao was strong as well. In the first few days, he was a nervous wreck that kept himself preoccupied with cleaning and cooking. Now he was finally calming down, trust in Arthur's words and Xiang. But again, it was odd. Having a friend. In a way, Arthur now understood a fraction of what Xiang felt. It was nice being able to talk with someone. Be with them. It made you feel warm inside and it was much more preferable to the cold loneliness.

Arthur tried being in a relationship before. He wasn't a virgin when it came to women but honestly he didn't like any of them. He tried meeting many people and none of them were worth even being friends with. Maybe that was the thing though. They never tried being his friend. They were probably after his money. It was true what they said. Money didn't buy you happiness. Family, friends and love did.

The sudden whistling of the tea pot snapped him from his thoughts and he saw Yao bringing over a fresh pot of tea over to him. "Thank you," he said.

"Not a problem ~aru." Yao poured himself a cup and sat down, sipping his tea slowly. But after a moment, he placed his tea down and looked straight at Arthur. "There's something that I've been meaning to ask you ~aru. I was afraid to ask about him before but I want to know."

"So this is about Xiang?"

"Yes ~aru. You seem close to Xiang but based on what you've told me, why would he connect to you of all people? No offense. But you said he was closed and distant before he met Mei. So how did you two meet? And I know I shouldn't be asking this since you said you've done things that you're not proud of but I want to know. If you could answer me."

Arthur took a minute to sip his tea, calming himself for what he was about to say. "I don't mind you asking. But the story is… personal. But I think I can tell you now."

"Don't force yourself ~aru."

"I'm not." Arthur leaned back into his chair and stared at the empty air. "It started… almost ten years ago…"

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><p>Xiang quickly worked through in his computer lab. That's what his third-floor was. It was his headquarters. The floor was filled to the brim with all type of technology and weapons from the highest and strongest to the ones that he created himself. Right now, he needed all of that.<p>

Xiang had spent the last few days collecting information and processing it. The Organization was tricky to bypass but he did it within a day's time. And once he did, he hacked into the system and found all the people trafficking that they were involved with. Then he shortened the search to the buildings and groups owned by Franics Bonnefoy. And the man had quite the few businesses. But Xiang was smarter than to waste time looking through all of them.

He shortened his searched by looking up all the newest ones in which Mei was mentioned. And now, he was waiting for his computer to do the final processing. Once that was done, he'd be off.

Xiang leaned back into his chair and removed the pair of glasses he was wearing. He rubbed his eyes and closed them. He hadn't gotten a good night of sleep in days and he was feeling the fatigue rush onto him. He had to rest. Even if it was for a few hours. He was no good in saving Mei if he was too tired to do so.

As Xiang began to drift off into his sleep, he thought about Mei. How scared she would be. But also what he had been doing. He turned his back on the Organization. He didn't answer them when they called for him which basically meant he quit. But if you quit from the Organization, that meant death. But in a way, it was like another part of his life dying. One he didn't regret throwing away but gone all the same.

He had never known what his life would be like if he wasn't part of the Organization. It had been far too long. So many experiences had passed and his memories of the old days faded away or were sealed. But as he thought about him leaving, they seemed to surface in his mind. Xiang knew what was going to happen. He was going to remember. He was going to remember the hell he went through until he met Mei. But that was part of the experience. Being reborn as an assassin and waking up to a new life. Yet now he was awaking from the nightmare to the life he wanted. The one he wanted with Mei.

But he needed to face his past. And he would do it the same way he came into it. A nightmare.

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><p>The harsh rays of the sun beat down on the lone boy as he walked weakly across the pavement. He didn't know how long it had been since he had food. All he could manage was finding water to drink. It had been a horrible week for him. He knew if he didn't find some nourishment or water, he would collapse soon. But he didn't have the energy to search in pointless effort.<p>

As he continued to walk, he spotted a park where children were all running and playing, happy with their family. He was jealous. He never had a family who was kind to him. In fact, the entire reason his so called family spiraled out of control was because of him. Because he was born.

His mother apparently died giving birth to him. He never got to know her only the stories he vaguely remembered his father telling him. His mother was a musician. And a great one. His father would always talk about her. That is, until he began to fall. When he turned six, his father gradually began to waste away the family's money on drinking, drugs and gambling. The loss of his mother was too much for him to bear anymore and he was falling apart. And it was only a year and a half ago when things got unbearable.

One night, his father had returned home and went berserk on the sitter and him. The worst outcome happened. His father killed the sitter and he was coming after him next. He told him that he regretted ever having him. That he didn't want him in his life. So in the split moment when others in the house heard the noises, he ran. He ran out the door of that house and never went back.

From discarded newspapers, he learned his father was arrested and since the entire estate fell apart, there was literally no one left to care for him. He was alone. He managed to survive for a few months but just barely surviving. No orphanage would take him because he didn't have any records. He was an outcast that everyone shunned just from looking at him.

He was now at the end of his rope. So if he was going to die, he wanted to die as comfortable as possible. After a few minutes, he finally found a spot under a shady tree and collapsed against it, his head hanging down and staring at the grass. Despite only being eight, he had learned so much too fast.

It was wrong to call life unfair. Because life was just unfair. People had to deal with it and move on but even after he learned this, it wasn't enough for his survival. He had grown tired as well. Tired of always hoping for a better tomorrow and tired of trying to struggle for his pointless life. He never had an ambition or dreams. He didn't feel sad anymore. He didn't feel happy either. He felt nothing as his final rest crept up to him.

As he began to close his eyes, something began to tap at him. He raised his head and opened his eyes and saw a girl looking down at him. "Hey are you okay?" she asked. "Could you tell me your name?"

"X-Xiang…" he muttered. Xiang didn't know what was going on but he was just going to go with it. He didn't know why this girl would come up to him. He thought everyone would just ignore him, let alone talk to him.

"You really don't look so good. Here try this," she offered, holding a plastic cup with a drink filled inside. Xiang stared at the cup as she urged him to take it. Xiang raised his hand slightly, as if he was expecting her to just pull away and leave. But she didn't.

Xiang took the cup and took a sip from it. The burst of flavor from the drink stunned him for a few seconds before he continued to drink, feeling soft round spheres enter his mouth along with the liquid. He didn't really care what it was because it tasted delicious to him. It was practically his savior. Or rather, his savior was standing only a few inches away from him.

Xiang stared at the finished cup and looked back at her. "Thank you."

The girl smiled brightly. "You're welcome. That was my favorite drink but you looked like you needed way more than I did. I don't mind either way."

When Xiang opened his mouth to speak, no words came out. He didn't know what to say. No one in the longest time had been this kind to him. The foreign feeling wasn't unpleasant however. Not in the least.

Xiang closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree. Despite the grace she'd given him. It would just be for this day. "Hey? Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing…"

"You look like you could use a friend. Come on, tell me."

"My life… isn't worth the kindness you've given…"

"What? Don't be so silly. Everyone's life is precious."

"Even if it is, I don't think it's worth what I've done up to now…"

"You can always make it better. You have your whole life ahead of you."

"No matter what kind of life I create, tomorrow is yet to be seen."

"You shouldn't give up on life so easily like that. You need to take another step forward despite any hardships and you'll most certainly find a better tomorrow."

Xiang blinked at the girl. He didn't know how she could say those things to him. She didn't understand what he's gone through but there was truth in her words. And because of that, he felt like he had to listen and move forward. But he wanted to understand as well.

"… If a person carries sadness in their hearts, how do you figure they can move on?"

"Because a person should be able to turn that into gentleness one day."

"I'm not too sure about that… but I guess I'll see one day then."

"Of course," she chirped.

Xiang looked at her again and a small smile appeared on his face. "Could I ask what your name is?"

"Sure, my name is Me—" Before she could finish saying her name, a loud voice called for her at the other end of the park. "Oh no, sorry. I have to go. My brother has to take me to a piano concert."

Xiang's smile turned to a sad expression. "Oh…"

"But don't worry. I always come to this park. Maybe I'll see you later?"

"Definitely," he answered.

The girl smiled and turned around, running toward a tall looking man. Xiang watched as the two slowly disappeared into the city and he returned his attention to the empty plastic cup he held. The girl's words were still clear to him. He needed to keep moving forward until he found that better tomorrow.

Xiang forced himself to stand. It took a few minutes for his legs to register the weight of his body but he got up. Slowly he began to move forward and feeling the strength from the bit of nourishment he had, he needed to find more food. He had to keep living.

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><p>The night was as cold as always as Xiang tried to find some shelter for the night. He was a wanderer. He didn't like staying in one spot for too long because the city was a dangerous place. He had seen it in the newspapers that people got into street fights and even killed. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to wander the empty streets.<p>

As Xiang continued to walk through the darkness, the sudden sound of footsteps made him duck into an alleyway. He shuffled over and behind some cardboard boxes and waited for the footsteps to pass. But as he waited, they started to become louder and louder. And all at once, the steps stopped.

Xiang opened his eyes, wondering why they stopped. Without any warning, the box he was hiding behind was torn away from him and revealed his presence. Xiang cowered and pressed his back against the cold stone as he looked up to see who it was. The male he saw surprised him. Not in a bad or intimidating way but what did he know, appearances were always more than they seemed.

The male was tall and had fair blond hair along with emerald green eyes. He also had noticeably large eyebrows. "Hey there," he greeted. The male's voice had a British accent but from the sound of his voice, it calmed Xiang somewhat. From what he heard, there was no threat or ill will in his voice.

Either way, Xiang remained quiet as he stared up at the man. "What are you doing out here?" he asked. He seemed to notice Xiang's unwillingness to talk and offered his hand. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Arthur by the way. Arthur Kirkland."

Xiang continued to stare at his hand but mumbled his name. Arthur looked overjoyed to get a response from him but his hand was still offered forward. "What do you want…?" Xiang mumbled.

"I've come to get you. To give you a purpose."

"What makes you think I need one…?" he retorted.

"Forgive me if I thought wrong. You look like you could use a place to go to. Wouldn't it be better if you got a life?"

Xiang stared at him. Clearly the situation was he was a homeless boy who was barely surviving and this man, whoever he was, was giving him a chance to live. But Xiang considered the possibilities too. He could possibly be taken as a test subject for horrible experiments. But Arthur didn't seem like he was going to hurt him. But then again, people were good liars or actors. Xiang slowly raised his hand and touched Arthur's.

Xiang was a rock bottom as it was. He had nothing to care for him. Nothing to live for. If anything, a purpose was better than doing nothing.

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><p>Arthur led Xiang through an empty hallway, their footsteps resounding through the lifeless path. It was as plain as you could get with pure white. After a few minutes of walking, the two stopped in front of two large doors and Arthur pushed open the doors. Xiang didn't know what was happening or what was in the room but he moved forward.<p>

The moment he entered the room, all eyes turned to him and Xiang was left feeling nervous. As he stood there, Arthur came over to him and gave him a slip of paper. Xiang looked over it and all there was, was a number. _99_

"Keep the paper with you for now, okay?"

Xiang nodded wordlessly and Arthur left the room, leaving Xiang alone with the dozens of other kids. So he wasn't the only one who was taken here. All the kids looked around his age but the moment, the doors were closed firmly, the atmosphere changed. The kids parted a path for one in particular to walk forward.

The kid looked to be at least two years older than Xiang but even though his face told the age, his body was something else. He was brawny to the point that he could be mistaken for two kids but he was lean as well. His hair was pressed against the crown of his head in a golden blonde. And the air around him seemed to tremble from his hostile nature. The boy walked forward until he stood in front of Xiang.

"Hey kid. You know who I am?" Obviously not. "I'm the strongest kid around here and that means I'm the boss."

Xiang knew from the moment he saw the kid that he was the bully and arrogant type. But it was clear that if he didn't listen to the other, that there would be serious consequences. Xiang nodded in agreement, not intending to say any word to him. The other seemed pleased by the action and turned around. Xiang relaxed slightly when he did but something happened.

The other quickly spun back around and punched Xiang straight across his jaw and knocked him to the ground. The kid spat at Xiang as he lay on the ground, clutching the side of his jaw. "Brat… when I speak to you, you better respond with something more appropriate. And I saw it in your eyes. What you thought of me. You better learn who's in charge." The kid turned around and glared at all the others and screamed out. "If anyone befriends this guy, you're going to be punished. Get it?" Everyone nodded and the kid walked back to his original spot.

Xiang managed to sit back up and rubbed his jaw line. Normally, any kid would have cried out for help in that situation but Xiang learned a while ago that in the face of fear, the only things people cared about were themselves. Actually, only recently he met the single person who broke that law he thought of. And now he wondered if there was someone like her, maybe the rest of the world wasn't as bad. But it was a useless argument. Despite the good in the world, the bad overwhelmed it.

The time passed by slowly as Xiang sat alone and separated from the others. Clearly the bully's words left their impression on them. None of them wanted to rise against him. They were all just kids anyway. But they all had something in common; they didn't have a life outside of this place. Just from the wordlessness and the looks in their faces, Xiang could tell they were in the same situation he was. Someone more fresh than others and some who's eyes looked lifeless.

As Xiang's stomach began to growl, the door burst open and a man lead another kid into the room and like what happened to Xiang, he was given a slip of paper. The new kid didn't bother to even look at the others and found a spot at the wall to lean against. The kid had dark black hair and a thin lean body. He had something strange about him, as if he wanted to be away from anyone. He closed his eyes and leaned his head down as if to rest. But besides that subtle difference in entering, a familiar scene started to occur and the bully began to walk toward the new one.

Xiang knew what was going to happen next. The bully would try to establish his dominance once again. The bully stood in front of the new kid and gave the same speech he gave Xiang. However, the kid's silent breathing indicated that he was asleep. The bully's face started to scrunch up in irritation and he began to yell.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

The new kid's eyes opened slowly and he looked up to see him. "May I help you?" he asked.

"I said before that I'm the boss of this place so you better obey me."

"It's common courtesy to introduce yourself first, not shout out demands."

"What kind of kid are you?" he sneered. "The name's Abel. Don't forget it."

"Hm… I see."

"Aren't you going to tell me your name now?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"You just said that it was common courtesy!" he shouted.

"I did… but you pissed me off from the moment I saw your face."

"Why you…" Abel raised his foot and threw it at the new kid but the kid was fast and caught his foot.

"If you're going to kick me, you're going to have to be faster than that." The new kid gently pushed him off and Abel fell backwards and flat on his back.

Immediately, the other kids began to laugh him. Abel rose to his feet quickly as his face turned red in anger. He furiously reached out and grabbed the kid by the neck and threw him hard into the wall. Just as he was about to throw a punch toward him, the kid bit his hand, forcing Able to release him. As he stumbled back, the kid made a quick kick to Abel's lower regions and he fell to his knees, crying out in pain.

"That's how you kick someone…"

After a few minutes, Abel got back to his feet and this time his eyes were blinded in pure fury as he lunged at the new kid. But before he could reach him, the doors opened and everyone froze. A group of men in suits walked in along with a few in lab coats. The guards lined up on the sides of the lab coats.

"Alright kids, line up by ascending order. You all have your slip of papers right?"

Xiang looked at his number on the paper and realized that it was his placement. As the other kids starred to line up, Xiang saw Abel somewhere ahead of him and the new kid was right behind him. The kids waited in line as the men came by to check their numbers. After a few minutes, they finished and handed everyone a vest.

Immediately when the exchange was done, some kids fell to the ground just from the sheer weight of the vest. Xiang prepared himself as the weight was given to him. The load was incredibly as Xiang tried to put it on himself. It took everything he had in order to keep himself standing.

The men started ordering everyone to head out through the doors and everyone did so. All the kids walked with a staggered step as they tried to get used to the weight difference. And Xiang knew that if they didn't adapt to it soon, that they would wish they had. And what irritated Xiang was the fact that Abel didn't look like he was even fazed by the change. Out of all the kids, he was different.

That's when Xiang realized they must have handpicked the guy in order to be the strongest in comparison to the weakest. Something to aim for and something to fight against.

The next few weeks were the worst days Xiang ever had to go through. What anyone would have to go through. All of the kids were put under a rigorous routine to train their bodies, making them stronger and preparing them for survival. They were taught the basics to survival and how to best equip themselves if anything were to happen. The only good part to the past weeks was the food. They were served three times a day and they were large portions and even better it didn't taste bad in the least.

But Xiang figured they needed them to be strong so they were fed a lot of protein, carbohydrates and just nutrients that increased the stamina and strength of their bodies. By the end of the month, everyone went through such hell that any baby fat they previously had was stripped away and left with just pure muscle. And at the end of the month, they were allowed to take off their vests and they were all given one day to relax. Just one.

Most of the kids just slept, trying to relax and relieve some of their fatigue and stress from the weeks. Others were so used to the training that they just continued to work. And the very few just sat around, trying to enjoy the peace.

Xiang was lying down on the first mattress he had seen ever since he ran away from his home. It was tempting to just fall asleep right then and there but Xiang wouldn't do it.

He wanted to have a grasp on the situation. They were preparing them for something and Xiang wanted to know what it was. The first thought he had was soldiers. He had heard of it before, training little kids to be deadly weapons of war. But there was a problem with that. During the teaching sessions, they talked about stealth and no soldier needed to learn that much about stealth. And even then, they hadn't taught them one thing about killing someone.

As Xiang thought more and more about it, he always came up empty handed. He didn't know of any other things that they could possibly be training for with so many kids. He shook his head and pushed his concerns away. Nothing made sense so he would go along with their plans until he learned enough to figure this out.

Xiang closed his eyes and pulled covers over himself. He needed rest for whatever they were going to throw at him. He just hoped that he could survive whatever they did have planned for him and the others.

* * *

><p>The next day wasn't anything anyone expected. Without any warning whatsoever, everyone was ordered to go into vehicles and be transported. They hadn't even left the complex in the month they've been there and they would probably never know where they were being held and trained for. Everyone was split into teams of four.<p>

The men in charge of transporting the teams explained that they were based on a simple system of best to worst. However the only exception to this split up requirement was Abel's team. Xiang remembered the three that were with him. They were fast and strong. All of them. It was obvious that they wanted to keep Abel with the strongest.

As they continued their driving, Xiang shook the thoughts out of his mind. It wasn't important now since it was already done. He needed to focus on why they were put into teams in the first place. But Xiang wasn't going to be befriending anyone any time soon. He was still the outcast set by Abel's ruling.

Coming to a halting stop, the car was parked in front of an earthy terrain and a short path led to what seemed to be a jungle. Xiang's group got out of the car and stared forward at the place. The man driving them got out and went to the back of the car's trunk and tossed backpacks to all of them.

"Okay," the man said. "You kids have been taught and trained the basics. It's up to you if you want to survive."

"W-what do you mean?" one kid asked.

"I mean your group is going into that jungle over there. The place has more than enough resources for you to survive. But that isn't the only thing you need to worry about. There are wild animals in there that won't hesitate to kill you kids."

Everyone except Xiang looked horrified at the aspect of that. But Xiang was surprised by what they were going to get into. "Also within the jungle will be the other kids. But don't expect to be kind to them because here's the point of this task. You need to gain survival instincts in that place and survive for one month. At the end of the month, we'll be back to get you guys but you all must be at this spot. Until then, good luck."

With that bit of encouragement, the kids went off into the jungle. It took a while of hiking to enter the actual terrain but when they did, everyone was struck with the strange feeling of both awe and terror. The jungle held a mystifying atmosphere yet within the depths of the trees were creatures that wouldn't hesitate to take their lives.

Minutes began to tick away as the small group just stood there and no one seemed like they were going to take action. Xiang tightened his fist and leaped into the jungle's contents. Team or not, he wasn't going to waste precious daylight to just stand around doing nothing. He was needed to live.

* * *

><p>The sun began to set on the tireless day. Xiang stared up into the golden sky and turned his head back to the darkness of the cave behind him. It wasn't easy finding food, water and shelter. Something interesting happened that made it easier for him. His team followed his every command.<p>

They had come to respect Xiang for who he was and relied on his so called courage. They didn't know he was just looking out for himself. But Xiang could use the help. While two of his teammates found shelter and built a fire, Xiang and the final member went out hunting and found a stream and fresh fruit. Once they finished collecting those supplies, they returned to their cave and began to make camp. Xiang agreed to take the first watch while the others rested.

The night air was filled with an entirely new scent to Xiang. He had never been in the forest let alone a jungle. It smelled fresher than the city but it carried that wild and animalistic aura that threatened their existence. That sense alone is what kept Xiang awake and alert.

The dimming of the fire alerted Xiang to the time to switch and he went to go wake up one of his teammates. The kid stirred and whined about wanting more sleep but after a firm kick, he got up and prepared to take watch as Xiang added more wood to the fire.

Just as the fire began to flare up, the sound of the other kid screaming made Xiang snap around and dash out to find out what was happening. Outside, his teammate was pinned to the ground, a dagger at his throat. When the light of the moonlight shined onto them, Xiang saw who the assailant was. It was the new kid, number 100.

"H-help me…" his teammate whimpered.

Xiang really didn't care if the kid lived or not but right now, if his team shortened, that would be a problem for him. "Let the kid go."

"I'll let him go as soon as you give me all your supplies."

Xiang scowled and removed his bag, tossing it right next to him. The kid looked back at him and began to let the other go and go for the bag. The moment the kid could stand up, Xiang dashed off to attack him but he was met with defense.

The kid parried Xiang's knife and retaliated with a slash of his own. Xiang was forced to jump back in order to dodge. In that time, the kid snatched up his bag and ran off into the jungle. Xiang wasn't about to let him get away with his things so he charged into the terrain to follow.

Being a small kid, it was easy to dodge most of the branches and roots and the kids were just as fast as they raced each other. Suddenly, the kid came to a dead stop and just stared ahead. Xiang wondered what was going on but prepared to tackle the kid until he saw what was wrong.

In front of them was a nest of pythons, each being almost twice as large as they were. The snakes were resting peacefully in the tress but one false step and they would awaken.

The kid made a step back and a twig snapped under his foot. Xiang didn't even wait for the snakes to start waking up as he turned around to run off. But before he even made a step forward, a dozen of the pythons fell from the tree in front of him. Xiang began to back up until he bumped into the other kid.

They were trapped. Their window to escape closing as the snakes slithered closer and closer to them. They were pythons so poison wasn't a problem but that didn't mean they weren't going to bite.

But the choice was clear. If they didn't fight their way out of this, they'd be dead for sure. The other kid seemed to realize this as he covered Xiang's back, taking out his dagger and readying it. Xiang matched his movements, taking out his own weapon.

In a flash of speed, the snakes leaped toward them. Ducking under the snakes, they avoided the initial strike but that was just the start of the barrage. Xiang shifted his feet and as another python went after him, he leaped into the air and stabbed it through its head, silencing the creature. That wasn't the end, not by a long shot.

The kid moved at a nimble speed as he dodged the pythons' assaults, making them crash into one another. Once they were on the ground, the kid moved swiftly to stab them in the head. This was the only sure way the both of them knew how to kill anything.

An endless stream of snakes continued to arrive; whenever one was killed, another was there to take its place. Xiang and the kid didn't waver however as they continued to fight back. Xiang maintained his powerful and skillful style while the other dodged and waited for an opportunity to strike.

After a brutal struggle through the night, the last snake slithered out from behind a tree, ready to strike. Just as Xiang was pulling his knife from the head of another snake, the reptile darted toward the boy. Xiang just barely turned around to see the snake within inches of his face before a knife was thrown and hit the python right between its sliver eyes.

Xiang turned his head over to see the kid panting, his arms held outward and toward him and the dead snake. He was surprised and shocked that he would save him. "Why…?" Xiang mumbled.

"I never kill unless I have to," he answered. The kid walked over and removed his knife from the snakes head and tossed something toward Xiang.

He caught it and saw it was his bag. "I don't need it anymore. All these snakes will be plenty of food. For at least a week anyway."

Xiang stared down at his bag and then back at him in disbelief. "What's your name?"

The kid looked at him, his eyes somewhat stoic and empty. "Sheng."

With that single name, he picked up to snakes and swung them over his small shoulders and ran off into the darkness. Xiang shook his head and began to pick up some snakes for himself. He couldn't dwell on this even for too long. But he was sure he'd meet that kid again and on terms far from friendly.

* * *

><p>The month went back quickly. More quickly than anyone expected. It was rough trying to survive in the harsh jungle and kids were injured on more than one occasion. But despite some being seriously injured, no one died. Xiang's group had clashed with others and most of the times they came out victorious. But if they ever met with Abel's team, they learned to run rather than fight against them.<p>

Whenever their team met with Sheng, they seemed to always reach a standstill at the end. But the fights against them weren't completely bad. It gave them someone to fight against on a level playing field and more than anything, someone to try and surpass. It was the same for them. The two groups fought against each other as rivals, building upon their losses beforehand and getting stronger.

Now that the end of the month came, the groups were stronger and wiser than they were before they entered the forest. And now they were being taken away from that forest, leading them into a new unknown location. Xiang didn't know what could be harsher than what they already went through but he was sure it was going to be more difficult.

He hated when he was right.

The very thing he predicted happened. Instead of going back to that faculty they were taken somewhere else entirely. Xiang didn't know how long they spent on that car ride but any injured were given medical care, food was served to them and more training and lessons. The only way a break was given was if you broke several limbs and Xiang wasn't looking to getting rest through pain.

After a week of traveling, the convoy stopped and all the kids were ordered to get out. Stepping out of the trucks, the kids found themselves standing on top of yellow sand. The sun was especially intense there and many began to feel its effects right away.

As the kids stood in the sun, the men were wearing hats and began to step out giving everyone an empty bag. "Okay children. Inside the truck is a wealth of supplies but you will be allowed to choose only three items to bring and in limited supply. Take whatever you want and be ready for travel. You will go through this desert and find the oasis on the other side. You will attempt to survive in this place for two weeks and if you survive, we'll be meeting you at the oasis."

The kids began to scramble to the front of the truck, wanting to get what they wanted first before anyone else. Xiang managed to look through the supplies and got his three things. A hat, water and a dagger. This time a team wasn't formed by many of the kids wanted to stay in the group they had before, allegiances already made and bonds already formed.

Xiang didn't have any sort of allegiance towards them and already started his walk through the desert, placing his rice hat on top of his noggin. The heat from the sun was blocked now but the desert was radiating with heat. Xiang checked his bag and he had several canteens of water. He knew he had to drink sparingly and continued walking.

He didn't know how long he had been walking for but he was certain hours had passed from the sight of the falling sun. Night was approaching and Xiang had to find some shelter and build a fire if possible. To his luck, he found a slanted rock formation that provided the perfect cover and blown sticks at the corner of it. Running over, he grabbed the twigs and set them up against the stone and uses his knife against the rock to create sparks. Within seconds, a fire had been lit and Xiang relaxed a bit easier.

His stomach was growling and he felt alone but at least he would be able to survive. Just as he was about to lie down and sleep, the shifting of the sand caused him to jump up, grabbing at his dagger. A shadowy figure came out from behind the rock, holding his hands up to signify he meant no harm.

When he stepped into the light, Xiang didn't lower his weapon. "Sheng…"

"I didn't come here to fight or steal."

"Then what are you here for?"

"No particular reason. I thought I'd follow the only other person who seems to think for himself."

"What are you talking about?"

"You seem… different than the others. They all went into their own groups, following orders without hesitation. You went alone. You're smarter than them from what I've seen."

"And what does that make you?"

"Someone who understands. People often have strange ways of thinking but what everyone goes for his a purpose. And since young minds are easily manipulated, why not better to take those and change it into what you want."

"And you're saying that's why we were selected and taken to do… all of this?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. And most of us wouldn't have a problem with it. Kids looking for a home, food and a purpose. What better way to take homeless children. But you, you seem like you've… matured in some way."

"I just move forward to live… nothing else."

"Then what's the point of living if you have nothing to live for?"

Xiang shrugged, looking into the sky. "To live day by day… to maybe find that thing to live for…"

"You're weird you know that?"

"I guess… but aren't we all?"

The two of them stayed together for that night, although Sheng kept his distance away from Xiang. The kid didn't seem to have any intention of attacking Xiang so the Cantonese boy didn't mind him being there. "I don't think I ever caught your name."

"Xiang…" he answered.

"I see…"

"… From earlier… what's your story? Why do you live?"

"I'm not sure… I've lived a lonely life. Learned from my surroundings."

"You seem just as confused as me."

"Everyone looks into their memories for joy and happiness… and when they can't find it, they reach out to the light to find it."

"So you're finding your own light?"

"Trying to…"

"Maybe we have more in common than we realize."

"Maybe. Also…" Sheng reached into his bag and tossed Xiang something. The boy caught it and looked at the thing, seeing a granola bar. "Figured you needed something to eat."

Xiang looked at the wrapped up bar as if it was one of the greatest gifts he's received. "You don't have to give me this."

"It's the least I could do. It was nice talking to you and its warmer here than out there in the dark."

Xiang began to munch at the bar, eating it gratefully and not wasting a bite. "You can stay if you want. I'm not bothered."

Sheng silently accepted the invitation, laying out on the stone and closer to the fire before he drifted off to sleep. Xiang looked over to the boy before going to sleep himself. The boy that was once his rival was now, in a way, his friend. His first friend.

* * *

><p>The next few days were harsh as the unrelenting sun fell upon the desert. The two boys walked side by side as they trotted through the sand. Xiang always had wanted to go to a beach, to enjoy the smooth sand and warm waters. That wish was now thrown away because of the burning hot sun that they always had to step over. But the unbearable traveling became easier with someone along for the ride.<p>

Sheng was understanding to Xiang's life. Not asking anything about his past and not pushing for anything. The two made a silent pack as it were. Xiang provided water while the other provided food. And the other thing Sheng brought along was a map.

None of the other kids knew how to read the thing or use it so it was useless to them but Sheng had more than one use for it. When he wasn't looking at it for directions, he folded into a hat to block the sun's rays.

But the strange thing was, even though Sheng had some water for himself, he had less than Xiang had. He didn't go to question why but maybe it was just to travel lighter. The two were an effective duo nonetheless. And after four days of traveling, they began to see their goal in sight.

Out in the distance, the two could spot a few green trees. Growing a bit hopeful, the two walked faster over to the spot and once they passed over a hill, their breaths left them. Sitting beside the trees were dozens of others and a small lake that rested at the center, lush green grass spreading from the water. The water sparkled brilliantly from the rays of the sun, the beams of light dancing across the watery surface.

Both of the boys ran down to the water and shoved their heads into the water, feeling the cooling effects of the crystal clear water and taking in drinks from the water. After the two had their full of the clean water, the pulled back, lying back onto the grass and feeling the success at being the first ones to arrive.

The two opened their eyes and saw fruit growing from the trees, deciding that they could survive indefinitely there. After a short trip up the trees and gathering fruit, the two ate their full and took the time to relax, knowing that the time they had there would probably be the only time they did get to relax.

It was just as they thought. Within a few days, others started to show up but none of them bothered the duo. And eventually, the men that took them there showed up in a jeep. Xiang and Sheng were taken away from the oasis and into a building where they waited a week for others to start showing up. Everyone appeared, tired, weary and some starving but they came. As Xiang saw the weary kids come through the doors, he knew that whatever they had in store for them next, some wouldn't survive.

* * *

><p>Arthur stepped into the meeting room with an unusually happy step. He was impressed with the results so far of all the children. He looked forward to their continual progress and was sure they would all improve given enough time.<p>

As the grinning Brit sat down at the table in their private office, his other co-workers and boss held a much more serious face.

"Arthur… We have something to discuss with you," said his boss.

"What would that be?" Arthur inquired.

"It's about… this project."

"It's going splendidly isn't it," he interjected. "I'm a bit disappointed with a few of the recruits but everything looks like it's progressing smoothly."

"I'm afraid I must disagree with you Arthur. The head of our organization is spending nearly a fortune on these kids and is not satisfied with the results."

"What are you getting to?" Arthur asked warily.

"We're training for an assassin Arthur. What we're doing to these kids, they're working together on things that should be done alone. And none of them know how to kill mercilessly."

"But they're just kids…"

"You have to stop looking at them like kids," he interrupted. "They are nothing but tools that we're molding. And what's the point of having many tools if they can't do their job."

"Even if you say that, they're still young."

"That's the point Arthur. If we train them till they're older and more mature, it would cost us beyond what we can afford to spend. And if none of them know how to kill ruthlessly, then they'll be useless."

"What are you saying?" Arthur demanded.

"I've discussed this with your co-workers. Since the four of you each picked out 25 of kids, you are responsible for them in a sense but not any longer. They've agreed with me that only one is needed."

"Then we can just let the others go, right?"

The man wasn't amused by the request. "I'm afraid not. I came up with an idea. We put them all in a confide area, hide weapons all over the area and they will fight for survival. And the last one standing can live."

Arthur's eyes widened as he looked at him. "Y-you can't be serious. I won't stand for this!"

"Yes you will Arthur. You will agree or you'll be fired. And you know what that means don't you?"

Arthur lowered his head. "Yes…"

"So you'll agree or else."

"I'll agree…" he said hesitantly.

"Good, now prepare the area and gather the kids. They'll learn how to kill by the time we're done with this."

* * *

><p>Xiang didn't know what was going on as everyone was being taken to a desolate castle like area. The stone fortress was clearly abandoned but a huge will of stone blocked anyone from entering or escaping. The area around it was left unattended for so long that weeds grew out of control but the green of the nature around it gave it a somewhat peaceful and mysterious feel.<p>

The men that dropped them off all had hard faces, unchanged emotions of seriousness and just general cruelty. All the kids entered the castle without a word but their concerned faces were easily seen. Once everyone entered the castle, the gates behind them instantly shut and was chained closed.

Many of the kids spun around, running to the gate and pressing against it in terror.

"Everyone calm down!" one of the men yelled.

Silencing the kids took no effort and the man moved over to the front so everyone could be heard. "Now this will be your final test. After that, you will personally be taken away, given a new life."

Many of the kids started to whisper around, some sighing in relief and glee. "Your final test is… to kill everyone in that castle."

The whispers stopped right there, their happy faces replaced by terror. "There are weapons all around inside of that castle and cameras are placed all around the castle as well so we'll be monitoring all your movements. Only the last standing will leave that place. No food will be given but there is a spring inside there for water. Now begin."

Most of the kids were still frozen in shock but the sound of the man firing a gunshot into the air woke them up and they began to scramble throughout the castle. Xiang didn't know why they were doing this but now wasn't the time to think about things, he had to find a way to stay alive.

Xiang figured getting to higher ground would be advantageous to him so he ran faster and faster till he found the stairs and began to climb. As he climbed, he passed by others that were either fighting hand by hand or others trying to find weapons to use. Xiang ignored them and practically flew to the top of the castle at the speed he was going.

Just as Xiang reached the top, he saw a figure crouched down and ruffling through debris. Making a step forward, the kid spun around, holding a pistol he must've found and aimed at Xiang. So it began. Xiang dived to the ground just as the gun was shot, narrowly dodging the bullet that came to him. Rolling over the floor, he picked up and stone and tossed it at the kid. The stone hit him square in the head, knocking him to the floor and dropping the gun.

Xiang ran over to it and picked it up, aiming at the kid. The child looked terrified as he had his back up against the wall, his head bleeding from the stone that struck him. As Xiang held the gun, his hand began to shake. Was he really going to take someone else's life? The kid was a nobody that no one cared about but he was still another life.

Lowering his gun, Xiang decided not to kill him but the kid took the opportunity and threw a rock at Xiang. This kicked in his reflexes and he shot the rock out of the way and then the bullet's direction was changed and it hit the kid in the chest. The kid's body went limp instantly and Xiang stared down at the smoking head of the gun.

"Did I…?" Xiang dropped the gun and dropped down to his knees at he stared at the kid's body. Blood was oozing from the body and bleeding the shirt in red.

He didn't even know who the kid was. The sudden cock of a gun made Xiang turn around and he felt too weak to defend himself. He was going to die.

Instead of a gunshot, a slap to the head was all he got, breaking him of his thoughts and taking him to the reality that was happening. He stared up and saw Sheng holding a gun but a worried expression. "Xiang, you okay?"

"S-Sheng…? Yeah I'm fine…" Xiang shook his head, standing up a bit wobbly. "Wait… why did you shoot me?"

"Why would I? I'm your friend. I thought we could survive this thing together."

"But they said only one…"

"If we show that we can survive, I'm sure they'll make an exception."

Xiang nodded and picked up his gun, taking a deep breath. He didn't know why but the word 'friend' gave him a strange strength. "Let's go."

The two of them dashed off from the tower and began their fights. At first the two stuck together, taking on anyone that came their way and taking them out before they could even stop them. But it was obvious that the easiest would be the first ones to go. Only the strong survived now and the strong would be thinking more strategically or have the skills to fight back.

Somewhere along the line, after having some confidence, the two split up, deciding it would be best to cover more ground. As Xiang made his way through the building, the kill more and more, the sight of blood gradually becoming nothing to him and the life of those kids were nothing to him as well.

As Xiang was finishing off another kid, the rapid sound of gun fire made him spin around and dive behind some cover. The bullets began to pound into the stone behind him until they came to a stop. Xiang peered his head over the stone and his eyes widened when he saw Abel and his team.

Abel had a machine gun and was blasting anyone that came in his way and his team was the muscle that protected his back. Just from the look in his eyes, Xiang could tell that that alliance wasn't going to last once the end came.

When Abel caught Xiang's eyes, he smiled. "Well well if it isn't the brat."

Xiang didn't respond to him as he tightened his grip on his gun, it would be nearly impossible to take down Abel and them. He needed some kind of advantage.

When Xiang was about to move, the sound of a gunshot rang through the room and everyone turned to see Sheng holding the gun, aimed at Abel. "Missed…" he cursed.

The boy's arm went limp as he turned angrily at him. "You bastard!" Losing his focus for Xiang, he turned to Sheng and began to fire in rapid succession. The Asian boy was fast however as he ran across the room, the bullets always landing behind him and against the wall.

Xiang realized this was his chance as he leaped out from behind the rocks and fired at Abel. The boy barely dodged the bullet, grazing his cheek and hitting one of his team mates in the arm. Abel roared and barked out orders to his teammates to kill Xiang. One of the team members took the initiative and threw out a knife at Xiang. The speed was unbelievable as it soared through the air.

He wasn't going to be able to dodge. Xiang closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact when a body fell to the floor. He opened his eyes and saw a small pool of blood forming around a fallen Sheng. He just stared at his friend as he laid there on the floor.

Abel began to laugh, walking over to Sheng and kicking him in the stomach. "Damn bastard… should've feared me earlier. Then maybe he would have been more careful." Abel raised his gun toward Sheng and looked over to Xiang. "Watch and learn brat. This is what happens when you oppose me."

Xiang acted quickly and fired his pistol and Abel but the shot was still fired. The bullet hit Abel's and the direction was changed but the bullet still landed in Sheng. Xiang went silent as he saw his friend stop moving.

"You brat… doesn't matter now though. Only one left out in the entire castle is just you and us and I'm sure that we're going to kill—"

Abel wasn't able to finish his sentence as Xiang lifted his head. The golden eyes that were once on his face were replaced, darkened with rage and fury. The gaze pierced Abel and all of his teammate's body, freezing them in terror.

Stepping forward, Xiang let out a sound that didn't even sound human. Abel snapped out of his paralysis and barked at the others to do the same and shot Xiang down. All of them aimed their guns and began to fire at Xiang. The Cantonese boy ran to the side at a blinding speed as gunfire followed him. Just as the gunfire began to catch up to Xiang, he turned his pistol to one of them and shot, hitting one of the teammates directly in their forehead.

With less bullets firing at him, he charged directly at the trio and before they could fire more, Xiang shot the other two in their chest, emptying his pistol but he didn't stop his charge. Abel, wanting to gain some distance from him began to run back, trying to shoot Xiang but none of the bullets ever touched him.

In a final burst of speed, Xiang came within fist range of Abel and quickly disarmed the boy and knocked him back a few feet with a punch. The single punch blew out all of Abel's breath. Xiang took the empty pistol and ran over to the boy and smacked him across the face with the metal, adding even more force to his powerful and fast strike.

Abel was knocked to the ground, blood trailing from his cracked lip and jaw. Before he could get up, Xiang picked up the gun Abel dropped and aimed it at him. "N-no…! Don't!"

Xiang pulled the trigger and began to discrete Abel's body with hundreds of bullets from the machine gun. Xiang made sure to miss the head until his body was leaking blood from every possibly location. Checking the ammo, Xiang had only a few rounds left. He walked up slowly to Abel and shoved the gun into his mouth and fired.

Xiang dropped the gun, leaving it in the pool of blood as he walked over to his friend's body. His eyes were closed and his body unmoving. Xiang closed his eyes, "I'm sorry…" he whispered.

Xiang got up and turned around, beginning to walk away. Just as he began to approach the gate of the castle, a gunshot was fired and Xiang's eyes grew wide. He looked down; red began to spread from his stomach, staining his shirt in crimson. Xiang slowly turned around and his eyes grew even wider.

"I'm sorry too."

"S-Sheng… w-why…?" Xiang collapsed to the ground, the pain from his wound taking over and adding to his fatigue.

"Because Xiang. You are my first friend. But the way you befriended me, it was both a boon and a curse. You don't have the will to do whatever it takes."

"B-but… you're my friend…"

He closed eyes. "Don't you get it? I used you Xiang. I knew you had the skills but I was there for your purpose. There's no way we could keep being friends in this bloodbath. One of us had to go down. Honestly I hoped it'd be me but you… as you are now wouldn't survive out there. The world is a harsh place Xiang." Sheng began to walk forward, dropping the gun and clutching his stomach. "Goodbye."

Xiang closed his eyes, his desire to live fading away along with his life. As he laid there, his eyes closed, seeing nothing but darkness, a small light began to grow, covering the black with a pure white. In that light, he saw two figures. They were taller than him but one of them, it looked like him.

_Was that him?_ He wondered.

_Are you happy now? Or are you in loneliness? Beside you, who is that? Is that person your purpose? Do you like that person? Love them? If you're me, are you happy now? Did you move beyond this…? How?_

The blurred figure's honest smile told him all he needed to know.

Xiang opened his eyes, seeing and hearing the footsteps of Sheng. Slowly, Xiang began to get to his feet and as he rose from the ground, he picked up the gun beside him. Xiang got to his feet, weakly lifting the gun and aiming it at him. The sound of him getting up caught Sheng's attention and he turned around.

Xiang's vision was started to fade but he knew where his target was. With the simple pull of the trigger, he fired the gun. Sheng began to fall, as if time had slowed, Xiang could see every second of the fall and he didn't know if his vision was messing with him, but it looked like he was smiling as he fell.

Xiang dropped the gun and walked forward. The memories that he saw only moments before seemed to fade away like an empty dream. His purpose for even getting back up a mystery to him. He only had one thought in his mind as he stepped through the gate and out into the world.

_Live_

* * *

><p>Xiang snapped out of his memories and looked back at his computer. The search was done. After carefully looking over every possible location, and reducing them to the most secure results, and even further tracking the ones that had the most recent transportations, he found her. Xiang had hacked into that buildings computers and searched through all the files, finding others that had been kidnapped but he didn't care about them. The only one that mattered to him was Mei.<p>

He saw her picture but the picture he saw wasn't one that filled him with relief. The girl was wearing barely anything and she was out cold. But that wasn't the only thing that worried him. Tonight was the night she was going to be sold. The date was set. And Xiang was ready to go in and take her back. No matter the cost, he would bring his precious light back.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia<strong>

**A/n: Hey guys :D another update and a pretty long one too. As you can see, this is a glimpse at Xiang's past and how he came to be what he was at the beginning of the entire story, before he met Mei. I intended this to have more missions and tests of the sort but it was becoming extremely long as it was so I decided to just give the full impact in what I showed you rather than boring you all with a flashback.**

** But wait just a minute, and guess what? It's a double update! That's right, 17 is just there with a push of a button but I'm warning you now in this chapter that 17 is violent and has mature themes so be careful when reading it. I shall continue my message in that chapter.**


	17. Chapter 17: Knight of Horror

_Even in the darkest and most horrible night, a single light shines brighter than before and guides its seeker to it, shining even more so than before now that one of the greatest hardships has been overcome._

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 17:**_

_**Knight of Horror**_

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The nightly winds blew across the city without care as a cloudless night covered the city in darkness. Cars and people passed around the buildings without noticing anything. A lone male stood on top of a building, staring across to the building across from him. The very air surrounding him was heavy with death. Xiang's darkened eyes focused on its target. The supplies he carried with him felt weightless to him despite covering his body in deadly weapons.

This was the moment, the moment he would take her back. And to those people who held her against her will, they would learn the true meaning of a nightmare. Xiang tightened his fist and removed a grappling hook from his side. He aimed the device toward the other building's roof and waited for the wind to pass. He planned it perfectly, choosing a building taller than his target so he could slide in without worries. The moment the wind calmed, Xiang fired the hook and it locked onto the roof of the building. Xiang locked his end of the grappling hook onto the building and took out his sword.

Instead of removing the blade from its sheath, Xiang placed it on top of the rope and held both ends with his hands, griping it tightly. With a running start, Xiang leaped from the roof of the tower and using the rope as a zip line to scroll down to his target.

Rushing through the air, Xiang came closer and closer to the skylight of the rooftop. Once he was directly over the glass dome, he let go of one side, making him drop down and crash through the glass. The shards of crystal fell right under Xiang as he landed onto the carpeted floor, unscathed by scratches or the fall. Observing his surroundings Xiang prepared to head down the building but before he could make a single move, an alarm began to echo through the floor.

Guards began to flow through the hallways one by one until they all filled the room and aimed their weapons at Xiang. They were expecting him.

"Xiang Gang Kirkland, we demand you come quietly now or we will be forced to shoot."

Xiang knew they wouldn't be stupid enough to shoot at him from this sort of position unless they wanted to kill their comrades. Either way, he wasn't going anywhere with them.

Xiang slipped two spheres from his sleeves and dropped them to the floor. Immediately gas began to burst out of the balls covering the entire area.

One of the men began to laugh as he cocked his gun. "You think a smoke screen his going to safe you—" The male began to gasp for air, dropping his weapon and falling to the ground. As he stared up, he saw Xiang wearing a mask and walking as if it was common air.

All the males dropped to the floor, leaving their weapons to the ground as they were poisoned by the quick acting gas. Xiang walked over to one of the males and removed his communication device, implanting it into his own device. Now he could listen in on all of the guards' conversations and they wouldn't be able to track him.

Remembering the layout of the building, he knew where the main surveillance room was and needed to get there first in order to find Mei's location. Not wasting any more time, Xiang dashed off into the hallway, climbing down a flight of stairs before he reached the next floor. As Xiang ran through the building, he realized there was too much light around. He needed the darkness.

He changed his search only slightly in order to find the power circuit for the floor. Since all the floors were managed by their own respective power circuits. Xiang ran and soon found the small closet room that held all the controls and circuits. He removed his blade and stabbed the controls, causing sparks to fly out of the system and the lights shutting off followed.

As Xiang removed his blade, he knew this fix would only last for a few minutes before they got their systems up and running again. But that was all the time he needed to find the control room. Running down the hallways, he found the next flight of stairs and this brought him to the floor where his target was. He slowed his running down only slightly, making his footsteps lighter and lighter until they were with the wind's silence.

Traveling in the shadows was a simple task for Xiang, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He could see every object in the hallways, including people. And those unlucky people where immediately cut down, their blood mixing with the darkness and air.

After running through the place for a few minutes, he found the room he was looking for. Xiang waited for a moment, hearing the sounds of monitors and two people inside the room. Xiang unsheathed his sword and held it close to his side. Gunshots would have to be avoided or else that would damage the computers.

With a strong kick to the door, the wooden barrier broke and Xiang stormed into the room. The men turned around in surprise as one of them was quickly cut down. But before Xiang could slice the other's throat, he pressed the alarm button, signaling others to come down. He cursed as he shoved the body to the ground to being his search immediately. He only needed t find one room. Just one.

As he searched, Xiang was only able to find the floor she was on before he could hear the sound of men coming toward the room. He was in a confined space and the guards wouldn't hesitate to shoot at him. His head spun around the room, looking for a possible exit when the saw the air vents. Using the chair as a stepping stone, he leaped up to the grate, removing it and slipping into the vents.

Xiang began to crawl through the vents as quickly but as quietly as he could. As he moved through the vents, he found two paths he could take. Neither provided any hints for him so he took the right and after a few minutes, he found himself at a dead end but there was an opening. Xiang moved over to it and he could hear the sounds of people talking to one another. Xiang decided to wait around; if any information about the people being trafficked were being passed around, it could help him find Mei.

One particular male was moving around, checking papers and the clients. The guy was tall with dark black hair and had a wide smile on his face, making sure to making all the other watchers comfortable for what they were able to begin. He held a strict almost demanding personality. And above all else, he seemed to completely enjoy the job he was doing.

He went into another room although he could still be seen and heard through the small openings and his voice echoed through the speakers. "Welcome gentlemen. We will now star—" the sudden crash from the other rooms stopped his speaking and he turned around. "Beba, go feed the bitches! They're making too much noise. Chuck, go tend to the clients while we take care of this!"

A short woman with long brown hair that fell to her waist and she ran out of another room carrying a bag of what was assumed to be food. She went over to one of the many doors in the room and started to curse out when she opened the door. She tossed the bag inside and slammed the door shut before running over to where the other two males were.

The other male was similar to the first male but only in height. His dark blond hair curled around the crown of his head made a clear distinction between the other male and himself. He was bulky as his muscles showed through the shirt he was wearing. He was clearly the one to control anyone who got out of hand with his intimidating appearance. But at the same time, he seemed as though he could take any of the women even without laying a hand on them. He had that gentle yet rough appearance that drove many different women wild.

Just as the duo finished calming the clients down by chatting with them, Beba came over to them. "Hey Tony, you need to hear this."

Tony turned around irritated and went into the backrooms when he heard everything. The muffled sounds of moans passed through the walls and what surprised Tony was the walls were supposed to be sound proof. "Sindy! Quint! Stop messing the fuck around dammit! The rooms are for the clients!"

After a few seconds, the rumbling around the room stopped and the two inside of the room emerged completely disheveled with swollen lips and covered in sweat. "Okay I'm happy you two are together and all but we have a job to do."

The woman had long brown hair that ran just pass her shoulders and just from the look of her, she had a pleasant and warm appearance about her. She was probably the person who led or calmed down any of the clients or workers.

The male's appearance was shocking similar to Tony's albeit shorter. However despite the height difference, he held a smooth cool image but just from the way he shuffled around, it was obvious he was a bit shy. That didn't seem to take away from the way he held his ground and he was ready to get to work regardless of the situation he was in only moments ago. He was there for his coworkers.

Now that the five were gathered and organized, Tony returned his attention back to the matter at hand. "Alright gentlemen, let's view our next specimen now."

The door hidden by the curtains opened and out came a tall male with a muscularly yet lean figure walked in. His face showed arrogance and despite the situation he was in, he didn't seem to realize the full blunt of what was happening. "Why the fuck do I have to be here?" he yelled.

The clients began to whisper amongst themselves about the male's attitude. Seeing the male now, Tony was becoming displeased with the attitude. "Shut up you whore!"

The male turned to the one way glass and then around the room. "Who said that? Get out here and say it to my face!"

Tony let out a frustrated sigh and turned to his companions and began to whisper something incoherent. After a short discussion, they nodded and Tony went back to the window. "Gentlemen, because of our specimen's… arguments… you all can go at him. And make sure to teach him a lesson."

The clients began to whisper and all at once they got up and entered the room where the male was. The male spun around, glaring at the clients. "What the fuck do you guys want?"

Without any word, one of the men slapped the male across the face, knocking him to the ground head first. Another took the opportunity to kick him in the side, making sure that he would stay down and gave one more kick just for good measure. Another man took the time to rip off the thin cloth that covered his privates and now all of the men began to undo their pants.

The male's eyes widened as he finally had a grasp on the situation but absolutely no control over it. As he tried to scramble away, one of the men grabbed onto his hips, smirking. "You're not going anywhere."

In a rush of movement, the man shoved his member into the male and began to mercilessly pound into him. The male cried out in pain at being pierced and continued to scream out as the rough friction was stretching him wider and only pleasing the man thrusting into him. The endless cries were suddenly muffled as another man shoved his erection into the male's mouth and began to pull in and out.

"Don't you dare bite," he threatened.

The male's tears were ignored; rather he was repeatedly struck with slaps across his face if so much as a drop was leaked. Two more men went to the male's hands, forcing him to stroke their arousals. The final man tapped the one at the rear on the shoulder, whispering him something before he nodded in agreement.

One of them shifted their positions, getting under the male and sticking it in him again. The last male got on top and along with the previous man, he forces his way into the male making the male cry out in agony as he was being raped with twice as much force and volume. Blood began to trickle down his thighs and only leaked more with every thrust, tearing into him further.

As all five men enjoyed giving their punishment to the male, they only increased in speed as time passed until all of them reached their releases into and onto the male, thick clear white coating him and leaking from his rear and mouth. But that wasn't the end of it. Now they began to switch positions and continued their previous actions with just as much vigor and relentlessness in every single movement inflicted upon the male.

The five in the other room laughed at the male, feeling as if he deserved the punishment for his disobedience. Their laughter however was drowned out by the screams of the male that made it through the thing in his mouth and as his voice began to grow hoarse from the screaming, their laughter grew louder.

Xiang just stared blankly at the scene, not caring at all about what was happening to the male but what did worry him was the display of punishment to disobedience. Xiang knew Mei was a stubborn and strong willed girl. He knew that she wouldn't let them have their way without a struggle or fight. Whatever was happening now, he could only imagine. And if they didn't, he knew they were going to do something to her.

Whatever was going to happen, he had to stop it before it did. Xiang took out two grenades from his back pocket and removed the grate from the vent before removing the pin and dropping the bombs down. The bombs fell with a loud bang to the floor and began to roll around.

Tony's eyes widened as he saw them. "Everyone, get down!" he yelled. The five of them huddled together into a corner just as the bombs exploded with a fiery blast that filled the room. The explosion resulted in the wall separating the others to be shattered and shrapnel from that wall impaled the other living.

Once the smoke and fire began to clear, Xiang saw the five completely incinerated, their ashes mixed together and probably forever. Xiang leaped down from the vents and looked around the destroyed room. He saw the dead bodies of the male and the other men, their corpses still attached to the male.

Xiang didn't have time to dawdle as he exited the room and looked around, finding the stairs down to the next floor. The floor right before the one where his precious Mei was being held.

In a quick motion, Xiang slide down the stairs and to the next floor. He wondered why the floors were set up in such a strange way but it was probably to make sure no one could escape since anyone working there would know the directions. Once he entered the next floor, a few men were walking down the hall when they saw him.

"You there! Stop!"

Xiang cursed and ran down another hallway as the men began to give chase, pulling out there guns to fire at him. As Xiang made a turn into another hallway, more men appeared, forcing him to take a different way. Now a mob of guards were chasing after him as he ran to escape them. Xiang could take them out right now but the problem was he didn't want to waste any of his weapons unless he had to.

Running out of places to go, Xiang was forced to go through two large doors, leading him into a large scaled room. That was a mistake.

On the other side of the room, there was a large force of men, all wearing protective helmets, bullet proof vests and all holding ballistic-glass gun shields. This was a trap. The men chasing behind him purposely let him go in order to lead him into this death trap. Before Xiang could even turn around, the doors shut behind him automatically, erasing his escape route.

This time, Xiang didn't have any poisonous gas to help him, using it all up previously. As the men began to ready their guns, Xiang closed his eyes, reaching for the hilt of his sword. Slowly opening his eyes, that darkness he was concealing appeared within the golden pupils and the atmosphere in the room completely changed. Bloodlust was thick in the air as Xiang glared at the men.

Out of fear, the men began to fire at Xiang without rest. The assassin whipped out his sword in a flash, knocked a few bullets out of the way with simple shifts of his sword. His eyes narrowed until he could see a path through the barrage of bullets and began to move forward through the fire.

The men didn't relent in the least as they began to move forward, trying to hit Xiang anyway they could. If they surrounded him, Xiang knew he would be done for but he wasn't going to stop. Xiang switched hands, using only one to hold the sword and block bullets as his other reached into his coat taking out a bomb from it. In a swift movement, he tossed the thing toward the mob of guards and quickly plugged his ears as a sound shattering screech and blinding light were released from the flash bomb he threw out.

The bomb did the trick, disorienting the guards. Xiang moved forward at a blinding speed and he was now finally within fighting range of the guards. Xiang made the first kill, thrusting beyond the shield and stabbing his target in the throat. A geyser of blood came bursting out of the man as he dropped to the floor.

Dancing around the men, he sliced at the open and weak spots of all the men, their necks and head. However as he killed the men around him, the ones outside of his range began to regain their senses and now where read to fire once again. Xiang acted quickly as the first gunshot was fired again and flipped up a fallen shield, using it for his own as it blocked the bullets.

Realizing that bullets were no useless against him, some of the men threw away their guns and shields in favor of swords and charged Xiang. The first came with sword raised high as he attempted to slash Xiang. The assassin quickly turned around and stabbed the man in the neck before he even began to drop his sword. Quickly he pulled his sword out of the man and grabbed him from behind and pushed him onto another man, taking out his gun and shooting the fallen men in his bare spot.

As a man charged him from behind, Xiang spun around and smashed his foot into the man, knocking him back to the ground. Xiang ran over, stomping on his head before leaping over and slashing through more and more men.

When the final guard fell, Xiang sheathed his blade and didn't even bother to look back at the bloodied pile of corpses he left behind. And not even one of them could even leave scratch Xiang.

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><p>The empty hallway didn't have any rooms or other doors, just a straight hall. Xiang decided to walk the distance, feeling the effects from the slaughter coming onto him as he felt his muscles' slight fatigue. But he ignored it. He wasn't going to rest until he was out of this place with Mei in hand.<p>

As he continued to walk, two broad mahogany doors appeared before him. Cautiously, Xiang pushed the doors open and he was now in some kind of large ballroom. It was completely empty and dozens of chandeliers lit the room up in a brilliant white light. Xiang looked around the place, not seeing any sigh of danger or resilience. And on the other end of the room were doors similar to the one he just entered through.

But just as Xiang made his first step toward the door, a sharp sound caught his attention. It was from beyond the door. They were footsteps, loud heavy footsteps. As Xiang stood there, his hand going for his sword, the steps became louder and louder, shaking the chandeliers on top of him.

All at once, the doors he was staring it were blown open, the wooden panels flying off their hinges and into the ballroom. Xiang immediately pulled out his sword, readying it as a tall figure walked through the doorway.

He was lean and his blond hair stood up as it waved around with every movement he made. Despite the large and heavy sounds that were being made, he wasn't the one who was directly causing them. The giant ax pole he had swung over his shoulders was the explanation. Being able to even carry such a large weapon was proof of his strength which made Xiang tighten his grip even more.

And he knew the guy.

"Lucas…" Xiang muttered.

"Xiang, I never thought we'd meet like this." Lucas smiled in a smug way and lifted the ax to his front, holding it ready to swing if need be. "Fighting against the most deadly assassin in the Organization was not on my bucket list you know."

Xiang remained silent, testing to see who was going to make the first move. "Now I realized why they called me here. They needed muscle and they called in the best."

As Xiang's silenced continued, Lucas' smile faded into a disappointed frown. "Look at what you've become Xiang. You used to command power and fear just from your very presence. You were the top assassin. You had everything and now look where you are. You threw it all away just to be with a girl."

"A life lived through fear and power is a life of darkness. Blinded by the blackness of your own heart and unable to see into the light; the light of a future. One above darkness."

"You're just like me Xiang; you can't escape from the darkness!" he laughed.

"No, you're wrong. I may be here now but in my world, there's a glimmer of light that will always bring me back to the surface. That's why I'd do anything for her and I will save her even if I dive into the deepest and darkest nightmare. Because I know she'll be my guide back."

"That's a ridiculous dream and you know it."

"It's reality."

"If that's how you want to see it." Lucas now took a fighting stance, holding his ax outward and the powerful presence he was hiding was now fully shown. "If you're going to live in that dream, I'm going to drag you back into the darkness."

"Just try it."

The two of the charged the other and a furious speed until the two steel weapons clashed. The clang of the weapons echoed through the empty ballroom as the two struggled to fight the other off. But as they clashed, Xiang was shoved back, knocking him a few feet behind. His entire body shook from the impact as he tried to regain his senses.

Lucas was strong. He was one of the few teammates that could actually go toe-to-toe with him and manage to survive. His skills and strength were formidable and his power was truly unmatched. Even Xiang had to admit that. And even with his rage fueling his power, he was still no match for the power.

The man charged Xiang again his ax swinging down at a frightening speed. Narrowly dodging the strike, Xiang tried to use the moment when he slashed and had to pull back as his window of opportunity. Lucas instead used the weight of the ax to his advantage and used it to duck under the slash and then get back up quickly, removing the ax from the ground and swinging at Xiang again. This time he hit.

The ax came whirling around and smashed into Xiang's side, knocking him across the room and into the wall. Xiang grinded his teeth as he clutched his side. He was lucky only the metal from the pole hit him but the speed and power behind the hit was more than enough to knock his breath out and leave a bruise.

Xiang didn't know how long it had been since he was injured and he was lucky none of his blood was spilt. Realizing he didn't have time to rest, he got to his feet and just in time to block another swing from Lucas with his sword. Xiang barely managed to keep his footing as he slide across the ballroom from the force.

He impaled his sword into the ground, forcing himself to come to a halt. Xiang panted as he pulled his sword from the ground. He wasn't a match for Lucas in terms of power but he did have something that could beat Lucas. Speed.

As Lucas came in for another attack, Xiang calmed his breathing and in that brief moment where Lucas swung, Xiang ducked under it and made a forward thrust with his blade. Lucas' eyes widened and narrowly dodged being impaled but now his side was cut.

Lucas smirked and pulled his weapon back, ignoring the cut made to his side. "Nice one. I was wondering when you would actually hit me."

Xiang took his fighting stance once more, now that he found a way to injury the warrior. But next time, he was going to end this. Lucas seemed to realize that as well, changing his stance slightly.

In a quick jump forward, Lucas began his assault on Xiang, keeping his swings shorter but retaining every single aspect of his powerful blows. Fighting at close range was difficult with Lucas because he let out everything in this form. Normally after this he would be too tired to do it again and be slow for the rest of a fight but normally, no one survived after this.

It took everything Xiang had to even parry the slashes toward him. Xiang however kept his focus as he blocked the attacks. Every time he saw this form, there was always one discrete opening. And he had to go for it. As the moves began to tire him out, Lucas made a diagonal swing and Xiang lunged forward, ducking under the slash and slicing Lucas' arm.

The man dropped his weapon, stumbling back and falling to the ground as he clutched his arm. As he opened his eyes, Xiang stood on top of him, his sword at his throat.

"Looks like you win…" Lucas admitted.

Xiang panted as he held the tip of his blade to his neck. "And looks like I won't be going back to your world."

"You got me. But I have to know, when did you get this strong?"

"When I found something to fight for. To live for."

Lucas smiled at the answer, letting his head fall back to the ground. "I see… you've really grown, Xiang. She's on the floor below us. Room X 100."

Xiang pulled his blade back, sheathing the sword before he made his way to the doors. "Thanks," he murmured. "And a word of advice, get out of here now."

As Xiang came up to the doorway Lucas had destroyed earlier, his voice made him stop. "You better hurry, Xiang. I saw a client asking for directions to there before I came up here."

Without another second to spare, Xiang ran down the empty hallway. He needed to hurry, before it was too late. After going down the stairs, Xiang stepped away from them and his communication device went off, telling guards to go to the very same floor he was on. He didn't have time to fight against another mob of guards. Xiang ran through the hallways, looking up to the numbers on the rooms for reference. He was close.

Just as he made a corner, he saw a dozen guards there and one of them was already charging him. Xiang quickly pulled out a gun, shooting him in the head before he even got a step closer to him. Before the body fell, Xiang caught the corpse as the other men aimed to fire at him. Xiang whipped out his own creation and tossed the sphere over to the crowd of people. The ball began to spin at a rapid speed and sent out hundreds of sharp pins, impaling them all in the needles. Xiang used the corpse he just grabbed as a shield as the pins spread through the confined area.

He discarded the body and walked forward, ignoring the bloodied hallway he just made. As he made the final corner, one last guard charged him and Xiang slammed his leg into his side, knocking him into the wall. Before he could get back, Xiang grabbed the back of his head and smashed it into the wall, breaking through the thing and leaving a limp body hanging there.

Xiang made his way down the hall until he finally stopped at the door Lucas told him about. Room X 100. Xiang took a deep breath, his mission nearing its end. Whether it was happy or tragic.

* * *

><p>Xiang burst through the door as shards of wood flew past him. His eyes roamed around the room and he instantly saw her. But it wasn't a scene he was happy to see; not in the least. He could clearly see on the other side of the room was his Mei, almost completely stripped down as she lay passed out on a bed. And on top of her was a man that was half dressed and to the point of entering her.<p>

Xiang re-appeared instantly behind the man and swung his leg, smashing his entire body off the bed and straight into the wall. He quickly tossed off his coat and covered his love's body and returned his attention to the lone man.

The man rubbed his head from the force of the impact and clutched his side from the kick. As he opened his eyes, he could see Xiang's legs as they slowly approached him from the other side of the room. When he looked up to see his face, it struck terror into his entire being. Xiang's eyes were filled with a piercing and hateful gaze that stunned his entire body. It was as if he was looking into a demon's eyes.

He couldn't even see Xiang's movement, as his hand moved and tightened around his neck. Xiang lifted the man up and slammed him into the wall, crushing the wooden support behind it. But he didn't stop there. Xiang threw the man across the room and Xiang ran after him and slammed his foot into his stomach.

The man coughed up blood from the relentless assault and weakly looked up to see Xiang. The boy had already taken out his gun and aimed it at him, his eyes still full of hatred. The man's body was still too stunned to react to anything and before he knew it, Xiang pulled the trigger. The man cried out in shear pain now that the shell was released. Xiang changed his target just a split second before he pulled the trigger and now his gun was aimed right between the man's legs.

Xiang reached down and lifted the man by his neck once more and slammed him into the wall again. "What are you screaming about? You didn't even lose much from that thing."

Xiang dropped him and aimed once more but this time the man reacted and pulled out a gun but it was instantly shot out of his hand. The man's face was filled to the brim with fear. This time he reached in his coat again and pulled out a bottle. Xiang prepared to shoot it when the man shouted out. "Don't shoot!"

"Why shouldn't I?" he responded.

"I-if you do, that girl will die."

"What are you talking about?"

"W-we gave her a poison to make her pass out. S-she gave us so much trouble and Francis told me to just finish her and make her worthless. If you don't shoot me, I'll give you the antidote here."

"How do I know you're not just lying?"

"W-what do you have to lose? If she doesn't get this antidote within the next hour, she'll die and it's impossible to find it anywhere else."

"Fine then." Xiang snatched the bottle out of his hand and placed it in his pocket.

The man looked slightly relieved but it ended quickly as Xiang lifted him by the neck again. This time, Xiang began to walk, still holding onto the man's windpipe. "W-what are you doing?" he managed.

The two were now by the window and Xiang broke through the window using his body. The man's entire body dangled from the position he was in. "I said I wouldn't shoot you. It doesn't mean I can't drop you."

Before the man could argue, Xiang released his hold and he fell. Xiang could hear the distant screams of the man until he heard the sickening splat of his body to the ground. In this case however, it was music to Xiang's ears to finally hear that revolting heart beat of his stop.

Xiang's mind returned and he focused his attention to Mei. He quickly ran over to her and held her gently in his arms. He touched her forehead and could feel it burning as she remained unconscious. "Mei, Mei, its Xiang. Can you hear me?" he pleaded.

"… X-Xiang…" she muttered. Xiang cursed under his breath. She was still unconscious but she could still say his name. But it seemed that was the only thing she was saying as she was out.

Xiang removed the bottle from his pocket and opened it. He tried getting Mei to drink some of it but she only turned her head in rejection. He knew there wasn't much time and he had to get her to take the antidote before it was too late. Xiang lifted his head and brought the bottle to his own mouth and filled his mouth with the medicine.

He brought his attention back to Mei and gently titled her head and brought his lips to hers. He slowly allowed the antidote to flow into her mouth and down her throat as he stayed connected to her. To his surprise, Mei's arms wrapped themselves around his neck as her body recognized the familiarity of his lips. After he made sure all the liquid antidote in his mouth was transferred he broke the kiss and felt her forehead once more.

Her temperature was brought back to normal as she regained some color in her face. Xiang finally relaxed slightly; now that Mei was out of immediate danger but he still had to escape from the place with her. He began to fix his coat on her and after some struggling to get it on her; he buttoned up the jacket and lifted her bridal style in his arms. Luckily, she still held her arms around his neck from earlier.

Now that he had Mei with him, he could leave but the problem was there were still guards around the place. He only had one hand free if he had to fight back but he had a few tools with him that would turn things in his favor.

As he walked through the hallway, a path led to the center of the building and there an elevator rested. Xiang smashed the button to go down as the elevator opened. Luckily no one was in but it wasn't going to stay that way for forever. Xiang stepped into the elevator, making sure Mei was still comfortable in his arms.

He made the elevator go all the way down to the sublevel floors. Earlier he had one of his butlers take the car down to the parking lot. He was on old man but Xiang trusted him and he was a trustworthy worker. When they reached their destination, Xiang took a moment to slap on a time set bomb onto the elevator. Whoever was getting into that elevator now wasn't going to be able to follow them.

Xiang walked through the empty parking lot, thankful no one was around and probably all scrambling around the building looking for him. After a few more minutes, he found his car exactly where his butler said it was. Someone was getting a bonus now.

Carefully setting Mei into the front seat, he made sure she was secure and got to the driver's side of the vehicle. The engine of his car roared as he started it and he stepped on the accelerator. He sped through the lot, and flying out of the building and into the streets.

He finally escaped that place, with Mei by his side and safe. As he gathered more and more distance away from that cursed building, Xiang took out a small switch and smoothed his thumb over the red button. His car wasn't the only thing he told his butler to set up.

Xiang pressed the device and the roaring sound of explosions began a chain reaction for the building. Through his rear view mirror, he could see people flying out of the place from the burst and the building crumbling in a ball of fire and rubble.

He made sure no trace of Mei was ever left there. He made sure all those people paid for what they did. But that didn't matter to him anymore. He escaped alive with her. A princess rescued from the depth of that dark world. And the light of a potential new day given.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia. <strong>

**A/n: So there it is, I warned you guys about the mature themes right? *refers to previous chapter* And if that caught you off guard, I'm really really sorry . but anyway, here it is, a very intense chapter for the entire story. Also Lucas is technically Denmark for those of you wondering but don't worry, he wasn't killed :) And now that Mei is rescued and safe they can continue their lives right? Nope, things get just as serious from now on. Maybe not as much blood but still serious. Thank you guys for following the story for this long and please review if you can and tell me your thoughts :) Bye for now**

**Also, I might be a while before I update again. I'm going to participate in something called nanowrimo but don't worry because I'll be using Under the Light as my novel :) So if anything, after I'm done with it, expect regular updates :D  
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**PS: next chapter is smut. Just saying.** **And no violence whatsoever**


	18. Chapter 18: Nocturnal Nirvana

_The deepest love blooms after the darkness of the night has ended, but its elegance and radiance only matures with the light._

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 18:**_

_**Nocturnal Nirvana**_

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Darkness.

Mei was standing in complete darkness as her head spun around in a panic. She didn't know where she was or how long she had been there but the last thing she did remember was being knocked out with a drug. She hugged her arms and began to walk, looking around aimlessly. She knew she was alone. She was scared.

As she walked through the endless darkness, the unending path started to frustrate her. And then she remembered the situation she was end and collapsed onto her knees. She was kidnapped. She was tormented by men. None of them violated her but she didn't know where she was now.

The sound of her name made her lift her head. The voice was… familiar. It spoke worriedly to her yet there was a certain… warmth to it. And only one person she knew could ever have that. Mei got to her feet and ran toward it. She didn't know where she was going but where ever it was, she needed to be there. She needed him.

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><p>"Xiang," she called out. Mei rose up from a bed and looked around the room. The familiar scene made her confused but as she lowered her eyes, it was as if all the answers came to her.<p>

Xiang was laying his head on the side of his bed, passed out and sitting in a chair. Mei smiled softly and smoothed her hand over his hair. This was real. It felt as if what happened was a horribly nightmare. He saved her. He went through all that to save her.

The touch of her hand made Xiang snap awake and look to her. "Mei?"

"Hey," she greeted tenderly.

Xiang lunged forward and held her closely, burying his face into her hair. "I'm glad you're okay…"

"I'm glad you're here… how did you…?"

"Shh," he interrupted. "Rest for now. We can talk later. You've been asleep for a while."

"How long?"

"About twelve hours."

"And you want me to sleep more?"

"Just rest. I'll get you something to eat," he said. Xiang released her and leaned back in his chair. "One moment, okay?"

Xiang moved to leave the room when Mei grabbed his hand. "I'm not hungry."

"Then just rest and I'll get some food ready for you."

Mei shook her head. "Could you… stay with me? Please."

Xiang looked at her pleading eyes and gave in as he crawled under the covers with her. "Just till you fall asleep, okay?"

Mei nodded and hugged him, snuggling into his chest. Xiang smiled and held her closely. Using his free hand, he reached out and turned off the lights. As they rested in the bed, Xiang caressed her back against the pajamas he'd given her, trying to relax her enough for her to fall asleep. The girl sighed contently at his action.

As her breathing became more even, Xiang assumed she fell asleep and began to shuffle out of the bed. But when he tried to move, Mei's arms were still tightly wrapped around his shoulders. Xiang rolled over and stared at her.

"Mei?" he whispered.

Mei stared into Xiang's golden eyes and slowly began to press herself against him. Mei wordlessly brushed her lips against his until she planted them firmly against his, kissing him deeply. Xiang's eyes grew soft as he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. Quietly, she began to lick at his lips until he allowed her entrance.

She began to explore him, taste him. That smell that was his alone and his taste were somewhat overwhelming. But everything he gave her, the sight of him, the way he touched her; it was all intoxicating. She felt a burning need for him that only grew as she kissed him. Ever so slowly, her hands went around to the front of his shirt and began to fiddle around with the top button until she finally got it loose and she made her way further down.

At this point, Xiang's eyes snapped opened and he broke away from the kiss. "W-what are you doing, Mei?" he stammered. This was completely unlike her or rather the last time they tried something like this, she was the one to stop it.

"What does it look like?" she smiled, inching closer to him.

Xiang began to back up even further. "M-Mei… wait, you need to rest…"

"I need you," she said quietly.

As Mei moved forward, Xiang moved further back until he got to the edge of the bed. "W-what's gotten into you?"

"When did you become so nervous about this?"

Again she closed more distance and Xiang's mind was focused on trying to avoid her. "I-I'm not…" As he backed up, he let out a small yell as he fell from the bed, crashing into the carpeted floor.

"Xiang!" Mei went forward and looked over the bed. "Are you okay?"

Rubbing the back of his head he looked up to see her, "Y-yeah I'm fine…" He stood up, smoothing out his clothes and looking at her warily. "I'm going to take a bath, if you need anything just ask the maid, okay?"

Xiang didn't give her a chance to respond as he walked off and into the bathroom. "Xiang…" Mei pouted and fell back onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling. As she closed her eyes, she didn't know why Xiang was avoiding it. "Maybe he needs an extra… push…" she murmured out loud.

Mei propped herself up and looked over to the bathroom and then remembered the last thing Xiang said to her. Maybe she would ask for the maid's help.

* * *

><p>Xiang sighed loudly as he dipped his hand into the water, checking if it was warm enough. After he was sure, he added some fizzy balls into the water and instantly the large bath was filled with bubbles. Xiang removed his robe, letting it fall without care as he stepped into the bath.<p>

He let out a content sigh as he felt the warm water relax his tired muscles and the bubbles to treat his worn out skin. It had been an extremely long day even if the most stressful of it just happened ten minutes ago. Opening his eyes, he saw the flowery trees and designs of day and night that he painted himself around the bathroom. He thought they were a nice way to pass the time when he wasn't working and he found he had a talent for artist's work.

As he stared at the designs, the room began to fill with steam, blurring the images and blocking them out in a whitish gray vapor. Xiang returned his focus to what Mei was doing, no matter how much he wanted to deny what just happened out there. In truth, normally he wouldn't be avoiding it at all. But after what Mei had just gone through he was worried for her and wanted her to regain her strength.

But for some reason, she recovered more quickly than he realized and even made advances onto him. He wanted the dust to settle before something got stirred up again.

Before he could dwell on his thoughts anymore, his focus was broken when he heard the soft sound of footsteps. And they were in the bathroom. Xiang couldn't see through the thick cloud of vapor and tried to listen more closely. Maybe it was just the maid doing the usual cleaning. But she would have known not to come in because of the steam.

The sound of someone getting into the water returned his focus to what was happening and he looked around. "Who's there?"

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around under his arms and something soft was pressed against his back. "Just me."

Xiang tensed up immediately. "M-Mei?"

"Who else?" she giggled.

"W-what are y-you doing here!" he stammered.

"I thought I could use a bath too. And since you're here maybe you could… help me?"

"Er… I'm not too sure about that."

"Hm… okay… then I'll help you, kay?"

"Wait what?" he said dumbfounded.

Mei quietly moved her hands to the front of his chest, rubbing it in circular motions and pressing herself closer to him. "Just helping…"

Xiang didn't know what she was planning but whatever it was, it was working. He closed his eyes, letting out a content sigh as she continued. Her soft and delicate hands had complete control over him as she smoothed them over his bare chest. Gradually, her hands began to move lower and lower but Xiang was too content to notice.

However when Mei reached to washing his pelvic region, his eyes snapped opened as he let out a soft moan. "M-Mei… not there…"

"Hm… okay…" Instead of pulling away, Mei moved slightly forward and brushed her hand against _that_.

Xiang gasped, his face flushing a deep scarlet. Mei ignored his protests and wrapped her hand around the growing member. Stroking it at a teasingly slow pace, she smirked as she leaned into his back more, pleasantly surprised at his size. "So this is what you've been hiding from me…" she said in a low voice.

"S-stop," he stammered. Xiang was helpless to Mei's actions, his body betraying him as he let out soft moans in response.

"You should be more honest, Xiang," she whispered. His body's reactions told her all she needed to know. Every teasing touch she made to his hardened member amplifying the burning desire he had for her and what she wanted from him. Every time she spoke to him, that only edged him on further, hearing that sweet and lovely voice in such a seductive and low tone adding more fuel to the fire.

His will was beginning to fade away from him as his lust began to overwhelm all his thoughts. Xiang knew if he didn't escape from her grasp, literally, that he would lose it. But the pleasure building inside of him and the burning flames he felt demanded to be satisfied.

Mei lifted her hand away from his arousal for just a brief second, wanting to adjust her hand and gain a better position. But within that second, Xiang was able to take control and regain his senses as he lunged forward and away from her. He dived head first into the water and made his way to the other end of the bath before he hastily got out of the tub and escaped from the bathroom.

Mei blinked a few times before she frowned and leaned back into the bath. She forgot that Xiang looked to any opportunity to get what he needed and she blamed herself for releasing him in that brief moment. But she only grinned as she washed herself; this was only the first plan for the evening.

* * *

><p>Xiang panted as he leaned against the outside of the bathroom door, his damp hair sticking to his skin and his robe hanging loosely on him from the rush. When he regained some of his senses, he made his way to dry off and change quickly. There was still the desire he felt for her but now that it wasn't blanketing his mind, he could think more clearly.<p>

Even if he was thinking clearly though, he had no idea Mei could be so sneaky and sly. It was a new side of her that was awakened with that lust she felt for him. And he found that extremely attractive.

Every little thing about it only made him want her more and more but what was left of his senses kept him sane enough to avoid it. She needed rest. That's what he kept telling himself in order to avoid facing her like this. Unfortunately, he was beginning to believe that less and less as minutes went by and he felt unsatisfied.

As he heard Mei getting out of the bath, that was his cue to get out of there now. Xiang made his way through the house, looking for anything that would get his mind off from the hardened problem he was still feeling and from Mei trying to seduce him. Or rather succeeding to seduce him.

The sudden scent of fresh made food drew him to toward the dining room. As he walked into the dimly lit room, he remembered that he set up star lights a while back for his first date with Mei and now they were being used once again. Laid out on the table were several covered dishes and two seats in a round table.

Just as Xiang began to realize the situation he was he, the sound of soft footsteps made him turn around. Mei's hair was shining from the water remaining in her hair and she was wearing one of his robes on her petit body. But from the grin that she held on her face, he knew he fell into another one of her schemes.

"Hello again, Xiang."

Making a step back, Xiang tried to gain some distance away from his love but it was too late. Mei went for the wrappings around the robe and undid them, preparing to open the robe. Xiang's hands immediately went up to cover his eyes.

He knew that if he saw her naked, he would be done for. Just imagining the curves of her body and silky smooth skin hidden under those robes were enough to drive him crazy. The sound of his robes falling to the ground made him stiffen as he held his position. He wanted to back up now but his feet were stuck to the ground where they were.

In a quick motion, Xiang heard Mei move up to him, her delicate hands grabbing at his, melting his will to keep his eyes shut. As she pulled her hands away from his eyes and he opened them to see her, the strangest feeling of both relief and disappointment fell upon him.

Mei was dressed in a thin pink and white dress that ran just above her knees. And the relief was seeing that she was clothed. The disappointment was from that lustful side he felt that wanted to see her bare form. "Something wrong?" she asked sweetly.

"What are you planning?" he said bluntly.

"Planning? Nothing. Just want to spend dinner eating with the one of love." Xiang stared down into those deep brown eyes of her, trying to find some sign of distrust but she wasn't lying. However, there was a small glimmer of mischief that flashed in her eyes for a brief moment. So whatever dinner had in store for him, it was all going according to her plans.

"Alright then."

The two walked over to the table, Mei sitting down regularly while Xiang warily sat in his as if expecting Mei to lung at him. Mei was still smiling innocently at him, assuring him that it wasn't anything entirely tricky but it was probably all going accordingly to her plan so she would have a reason to smile that way. As Xiang thought about these things, he realized he still didn't know what they were going to be eating.

Mei began to lift the covers off of the plates, as if reading his mind and answering his question. Underneath the dome covers was an assortment of different seafood. Oysters, lobster, crab, etc. The food was still fresh as the steam and scent filled the air around them, stirring up his hungry stomach and making it growl. The butler walked by and began to pour both of them a glass of milk.

"Milk?" Xiang questioned.

"The lady requested it," he answered.

"Milk is nice after a bath, don't you think?" she smiled.

Xiang looked at her strangely but shrugged, it was just milk. Unless she laced it with something. Xiang lifted the glass and took a sip of and placed it back down, it tasted the same as milk and Xiang had a very distinct palate. Without further ado, Xiang began to eat his meal as Mei watched him happily and followed.

As the two continued to eat, neither made any attempt to speak to the other but somehow the air was clear of any type of tension. Xiang was still wondering what was making her so happy to just be eating but he guessed it was because it had been a long time since she had a decent meal. That's when he realized that he shouldn't be avoiding her after such a traumatic experience.

He took a deep breath and got out of his chair, making Mei look at him questionably. He moved his seat over to the other side of the table so he was sitting just a few inches away from her. He continued his meal in silence but Xiang could practically feel the happiness that radiated from Mei. After they finished off their meals, Xiang leaned back into his seat, whipping his mouth of any excess or stray food.

"How did you enjoy the meal?" she asked.

"It was delicious. How about you?"

"Loved it," she answered happily. "I haven't had a full meal for who knows how long."

"I'm sorry about that…" he said sadly.

"Don't be. I'm safe now and eating with the one I love. Also I hope you're still hungry because I had them make dessert too."

"Dessert?"

She nodded and the butler walked into the room carrying a bowl of what looked like chocolate strawberries and a bowl of French vanilla ice cream. After he set the plates down, he removed the dishes from their dinner and left. Mei's eyes seemed to sparkle as she dug into the bowl of ice cream.

Xiang chuckled as she ate the ice cream so happily and turned his attention to the bowl of strawberries. He shrugged and took a bite out of the chocolate covered fruit and his eyes widened when he realized the fruit was filled with a type of cream. "Vanilla?"

Mei looked over to him and picked up when, putting it toward his lips. "Eat up. I thought of the idea and it seemed good when I tried a sample."

"It is good. Interesting idea." Xiang opened his mouth and Mei popped the berry into it. The flavors blended well together and the sweetness was very nice.

At some point, Mei had gotten onto Xiang's lap and continued to eat that way. Xiang was at first nervous about her being so close but eventually just gave up on the idea she was trying something. Mei leaned into his chest, sighing contently as she continued to eat her frozen treat.

When Xiang finally finished off the fruit, he pushed the bowl away and wrapped his arms around Mei, holding her tenderly. This was nice, just being able to hold your love and enjoy a meal. Suddenly, Xiang's body began to grow unbearably hot in more ways than one. He felt that flame of lust he suppressed early rise back and even more intense than before. And with Mei right there in his lap, his resistance was fading away by the second.

But he wasn't going to push her off when she was happily eating. That's when he realized, all the food they've been eating, they were aphrodisiacs. This was all part of her plan and she didn't even have to try and trick him, he went along with it all and enjoyed it too.

As he tried to resist the urge to take her, her every action only added to his need. He didn't know if it was on purpose or not but the way she was eating was driving his imagination crazy. Slowly licking the ice cream and bringing it to her lush lips was torture to watch. And the moment, some of the ice cream got onto the corner of the lip, he couldn't help much anymore.

Xiang cupped her cheek with one of his hands, turning her face toward him. She looked at him, wondering what was wrong.

"You have a bit of ice cream on the side of your lip."

"Where?" she asked, moving to whip it off.

"Don't worry about it," he said lowly.

He leaned in toward her, bringing his lips to the corner of his and he gave a tantalizing lick to the side of her lips, licking off the cream that had melted on her warm skin. Mei let out a soft gasp when he did this, closing her eyes and dropping her spoon into the bowl and pushing it away. Xiang furthered his advances, trailing his tongue down to her jaw and then her neck.

He pulled her closer until he could smother the smooth and soft skin with small bites and kisses. Mei let out an erotic sigh, pushing her hand into his hair and holding onto him for support. Using his other hand, he began to caress her back, running it up and down as much as he could, feeling the heat of her body radiate through the thin clothing.

Mei took the chance to use her free hand to touch the front of his chest, feeling his hard muscles through his buttoned up shirt. As he held her and she held onto him, she didn't have any intention of letting him go this time. But either way, his actions were enough to let her know that she succeeded. But the only doubt that was still in the back of her mind was that he didn't question anything or say anything to her.

"X-Xiang…" she whimpered.

Her voice was the sound that snapped him from his maddening lust and he pulled back and looked to her. What was he doing? He had completely forgotten about why he was resisting her in the first place. It made him feel sick to think he was going to take advantage of her like this. Carefully, Xiang lifted her from his lap and placed her on the seat beside them and quickly walked off, trying to regain some sense of himself.

Mei's eyes opened and she quickly ran after him. Doing whatever wasn't her main concern now. She needed to know what was wrong and she needed to explain what she was doing. Just before Xiang could close the door to his room, she put herself between the door and the doorway.

"Wait, Xiang."

Xiang tried to move deeper into the room to escape her but she followed until she grabbed onto his arm, forcing him to look at her. "Talk to me," she asked.

"Mei… I really do love you and am attracted towards you but… it'd be wrong to take advantage of you when you need rest."

"Why are you still on that? I'm fine. And you wouldn't be taking advantage of me, I want this. And I need you."

"What brought this on?"

"It's just… when I was being held there, all I could think about was wanting to see you. Needing to be next to you. And I realized I don't want to waste any more time to be true lovers."

"Do you realize what that means, Mei?"

She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck and in a soft whisper, "I'm sure. I love you."

"I love you too."

She smiled, letting go of him and turning around. "I guess if you want me to rest I can—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Xiang spun her back around, hugging her tightly before he pulled her into a passionate kiss. Mei melted into the kiss as she kissed back with just as much zeal, linking her hands behind his neck. The fire that burned within both of them began to blaze into their very soul in that moment.

Mei began to lean into him, wanting to deepen the kiss further. The sudden shift of weight, forced him to move back, stumbling on the way and falling down on the bed along with her. However, their lips remained locked to one another and the two took advantage of the flat and comfy surface by shifting to the center of the bed.

Breaking their kiss for only a moment to breathe in air, the two stared into the other's eyes, taking in that need they had for each other. Xiang leaned in once again, capturing her lips but slipping his tongue into her mouth, tasting the ice cream from earlier. But he was doing more than just tasting her, he was claiming her, leaving his mark and making sure she thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Mei moaned as Xiang massaged his tongue against hers but soon she began to wrap hers around his, wanting to give him the same feelings that he was giving her. Her hands holding on tightly onto the back of his shirt had two reasons for being there; she needed to hold onto him and two, she was tugging at the thing, wanting it to be removed from his upper torso.

Xiang saw the sign and pulled back just enough so she could begin work on unbuttoning his shirt. As she removed the buttons one by one, revealing his chest, Mei began to blush with each passing moment and when it was finally open, her cheeks burned with a flush. The other shrugged his shirt off from his body, letting it fall of the bed before he returned his attention to her.

Slowly, his hands reached for the loose straps of her dress hanging on her shoulders and began to pull them down. As his hands brushed against her arms and he revealed more of her cleavage, he began to develop his own blush. With a final tug to her dress, the clothing was left hanging around her waist as her upper body was left completely exposed.

Xiang was left completely stunned and speechless at the magnificent image displayed before him. He now saw the curves of her body that he had imagined so many times before but those were nothing compared to the real thing. It fit her figure perfectly, adding to the appeal of her creamy pearl skin. His hand slowly moved across her hot skin, climbing up the mounds of flesh at the center of her chest and brushing against the rosy buds at the tip. He leaned down slowly, resting his head just under her chin as he began to kiss along her jaw line while his hands began work pampering her breasts. His hands cupped each figure into his palms, squeezing lightly and drawing out a moan from the quiet girl.

Mei let out breathy moans as she was being fondled. The foreign sensations were completely new to her and only intensified because she had her love being the first to ever do these things to her. Mei's grip on his shoulders only tightened as she held on, slowly losing herself to him. Without any warning, Xiang began to trail his tongue lower and lower until his mouth rested just on top of her left breast. Mei looked down, the anticipation of what he was about to do drive her crazy with anxiousness.

Slowly, Xiang opened his mouth and let out his tongue as he circled around her nipple before taking in the hardened bud. Mei let out a loud moan as he began to nibble and suck on her. Mei closed her eyes, trying to keep in the noises she was letting out but Xiang's skillful mouth drew more noises from the back of her throat, muffled only by her closed lips.

Indulging her more, Xiang wanted to make sure Mei was thoroughly enjoying this and from the sounds she was trying to suppress, he was succeeding. Using his free hand, Xiang began to tug at the remaining clothing covering her. Mei helped slightly but raising herself to help him. Either way, the dress was coming off. The clothing fell to the floor with a soft whisper and Mei shivered slightly as Xiang pressed himself harder onto her.

Xiang pulled himself away from her chest and took a moment to eye her over now. The thin layer of her panties was the only things separating him from her core now. He smoothed his hand over her thigh, and then closer between her legs until his fingers finally touched her there. Mei gasped, grinding her thighs together, trying to gain more friction from the brief touch.

Xiang chuckled slightly, bringing himself forward and kissing her as his fingers began to rub at the dampening silk. But even before he had touched her there, she was already thoroughly wet from anticipation and the treatment he gave her body. As he continued to press his fingers against her, his own fingers were becoming damp in her juices.

Mei moaned into the kiss, making the erotic sound run throughout his body. But as Xiang was continuing his foreplay, Mei's hands began to go after the front of his pants until it was open and being pushed off. Xiang pulled back, wiggling out of his pants before he kicked them to the floor.

He leaned forward, kissing her softly as his hand hooked onto the rim of her panties and tugged them off in a swift motion. He looked lovingly at her, holding her close but staring deep into her heart and soul now that they were both completely open to the other.

"X-Xiang… p-please," she murmured. She needed him now. Her body was aching and begging to be pleased by him and wanting him to receive the same pleasure he was going to give her.

He nodded to her, shifting his position and priming himself to enter her smoothly. As he waited, the fresh scent of her womanhood hit him without restraint. The intoxicating aroma of her was making him ache to be one with her.

Holding onto her hips, she gave him a quiet nod and he began to push himself into her. She cringed at the foreign object entering into her but there was still more to go. He made his way into her slowly, wanting to make sure he wasn't going to hurt her. As he continued to move forward, he was met with some kind of barrier. He took a deep breath and pushed beyond it.

Mei instantly shut her eyes as tears welled up and bit her lip from crying out in pain. It was indescribable as it overwhelmed her senses. Her fingernails dug into his back but she was sure he couldn't even imagine the pain she was going through. Even though she was feeling that, there was still room inside of her and she knew he still could fill her.

Xiang quickly leaned down, kissing away the tears as he continued to go further inside of her. After a few more moments, he finally felt the end he could reach but he didn't make any attempts to stop from kissing her tears away.

The small kisses were the only things that could briefly distract her from the unbearable pain but now that he finally stopped going further, she began to shift and adjust to his length. She had given her virginity and he had taken it. She opened her mouth, taking in short breaths as her body tried to get used to the thick member within her. After a few minutes, she began to get used to the feeling, the pain of first entering fading away but not completely gone. She could bear with it however.

She lifted her hand, brushing it against his cheek and mouthing _it's okay_ to him, smiling slightly.

He nodded; groaning slightly as he slowly pulled out and pushed back in. The same pain she felt before didn't happen and he could tell from the expression she had on her face. She was being incredibly strong. As gentle as he was trying to be, it was difficult to resist going faster. Instead, he began a slow and steady rhythm as he thrust into her.

Letting a soft mewl, she loosened her death grip on his shoulders, closing her eyes and letting her body adapt to the movements. Slowly, the pain began to ebb away and a spark of pleasure began to burn within side of her. Xiang began to speed up just slightly, holding onto her firmly as he continued his drive. Soft moans began to escape her lips as she began to move along with Xiang's motions.

Seeing that she wasn't in that fanatical pain anymore, he increased his momentum, periodically using more strength in a single thrust. Mei closed her eyes, letting out a loud moan, urging him to go faster and harder. Taking the invitation, he reached in deeper and faster.

Mei began to moan out louder than before; the periodic strike of her sweet spot gave her immeasurable amounts of pleasure. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him into a needy kiss, wanting to be completely connected to him. Even with the change in position, Xiang continued to thrust into her but his hands began to roam around her body, finding any sensitive spots that would only add to the intensity. Mimicking his actions, her hands began to caress his back, occasionally finding a sensitive spot that drew out a gasp and moan from him. Their touching only amplified by their glistening sweat that made any part of their skin hypersensitive.

All at once, the inner muscles of her core began to tighten and she felt him thickening as well. Both were nearing their peaks and with every thrust, they came closer and closer to reaching it. Breaking away from the kiss, Xiang held onto her tightly and pulling out almost all the way, he slammed back inside of her.

Throwing her head back, a wave of pleasure and relief washed over Mei as stars covered her vision. He could feel her contractions pushing him over the edge, letting out a low groan as he reached his release. The both of them cried out the other's name, holding on for support as their clouded minds began to refocus.

After he was sure he was spent, he collapsed next to her, panting at the same pace she was. The two didn't say a word to each other but their smiles and content expression was more than enough to tell them. Mei shifted slightly, inching closer to Xiang until she was pressed up against him. Xiang pulled the covers of his bed over them, trapping the radiating heat around them as their bodies began to cool.

Leaning forward, the both of them sealed their love with a gentle kiss. It wasn't deep or passionate but it was more than enough to get their feelings across. But as they learned at this point, they were both one in unity, heart and soul.

* * *

><p>The morning rays of the sun flew into the room, hitting the walls gently and illuminating the place. Xiang shifted slightly, opening his eyes tiredly but the sight he saw warmed his heart. His lover sleeping soundly and comfortably was truly a sight to behold. He quietly moved his hand toward her face, brushing the stray hairs out of her face and letting her beauty shine through.<p>

The sudden change alerted Mei to him and she opened her eyes. "Xiang…?" she whispered.

"Sorry… did I wake you?"

She shook her head, snuggling up to his warm chest. "Not at all… did you sleep well?"

He nodded and caressed her back. "How about you?"

"Wonderful." He smiled, kissing her softly. "So what's the plan for today?"

"I think maybe relax and enjoy each other's company."

"And maybe tease each other a bit?" she giggled.

"That's going to lead us back here you know?" he chuckled.

"I don't mind that plan at all," she smiled sheepishly.

"How about we wash up first, rest and eat then play around?"

"Sounds good."

He laughed lightly, removing the covers from the bed and getting up. He looked over to Mei who tried to follow but when she tried standing, she nearly fell. Xiang was quick and held her in his arms, giving her a worried look. "I'm okay… just a bit sore."

"Wrap your arms around my neck." Mei did as she was told and Xiang lifted her up into his arms and started to carry her to the bathroom. Mei didn't complain as she was whisked off to the tub, she appreciated his care.

Once inside the bathroom, Mei was lowered into a tub of warm soapy water. Mei let out a soft squeak when her skin touched the water, still not used to the warmth of anything else besides Xiang. Stepping into the bath as well, Xiang made sure to hold her tenderly within his arms before he began to wash her sensitive skin.

Sighing contently, she leaned into his chest as she aided him in the act. After a few minutes of washing, Mei turned around and grabbed some soap before she began to lather his chest. Her hands ran up and down his chest and as she stared at it, her hands instinctively went up and around his neck. Xiang seemed to follow her motion and snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and leaning forward to brush his lips against hers.

Before their lips could meet, knocking broke their focus and made them turn toward the door.

"Master Xiang, there are two people outside the gate of the mansion. They need your attention."

Xiang snapped into action, stepping out of the bath and quickly drying himself. "Do you recognize them?"

"I'm not familiar with them. They're both male. One has blond hair, emerald green eyes and thick eyebrows while the other is feminism and has a black ponytail."

As Xiang listened to his butler, he threw on a pair of pants. "Those two…? I'll be out in a minute." Xiang turned to a puzzled Mei and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be back, okay?"

Mei gave a wordless nod and Xiang went out of the bathroom. As he marched through the mansion, he soon came to the lounge and he looked out through the windows. This confirmed it, Arthur and Yao.

Xiang didn't know what to think of it. Was Arthur still part of the Organization? And if that was the case, was Yao a prisoner? He didn't know what to expect but there was only one way to get answers and he wasn't going to be stupid about it. He had just saved Mei and true he was tired but he wasn't tired enough to take on anyone if he had to.

Walking to the front door, he tapped against the hallway wall and opened a secret compartment and pulled out a gun. He then approached the wooden panel and opened the door.

Arthur looked up with a bright smile. "Xiang! You're okay—"

Before he could continue, Xiang pulled out his gun and aimed it at him. "Tell me now why I shouldn't blow your brains out."

Arthur was startled by the action but he quickly got over it and straightened his tie. "I wouldn't have expected less of you. I'm not here as your enemy Xiang. I left the Organization. Actually they're probably out to kill me now," he laughed.

"But putting that aside, I'm here to help you Xiang. And you're probably wondering why on Earth I would do that but… I want to tell you; I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I've put you through. That day I met you in the streets, I made your life spiral out of control. And now that you can actually think for yourself, I'm glad that you've survived and found happiness. I have no intention of taking that away from you. I want to help you keep it."

Xiang lowered his gun as he stared at Arthur. From his expression, he could tell he was being honest but from the look of his eyes, there was something deep down into his soul that told him he felt guilty about what had happened. Xiang turned around, leaving the door open as he walked back into his home.

Arthur was greatly relieved. Xiang wasn't one for words but his actions showed his intentions and him lowering the gun and letting them in was more than enough. He looked behind his shoulder and chuckled as he saw Yao's eyes roaming the entire estate as if he had never been in such a grand place. Arthur allowed him to take his time as he followed Xiang into the house.

But what he saw next caught him off guard.

Inside of the kitchen was a girl wearing one of Xiang's jackets but just from the way it hung off her body, he could see that it was the only thing she was wearing. The jacket was large enough to cover her petit body but the jacket just barely ran to the top of her thighs and showed off her long legs.

Aside from herself, Arthur saw her making some kind of drink. When she turned around and saw him, the two shared a blank stare until she smiled and waved. "Hello."

"Um hello there. Who might you be?"

"Oh, I'm Mei. Mei Wang."

Arthur blinked a few times before the puzzle pieces came together. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you but this is the first time I've seen you."

"You know me?"

"I've heard about you but all I know is how important you are to Xiang."

"You know Xiang? Who are you?"

"Arthur. Arthur Kirkland. But Xiang can tell you how I know him, maybe one day," he trailed off. Arthur turned around and went to the lounge where Xiang was waiting on the couch.

* * *

><p>Yao wandered into the house, still amazed at the décor and the size of the house. He didn't know Xiang owned the entire place and the interior was beyond what he imagined. As he continued into the home, the sound of a blender going off caught his attention and he went toward the sound.<p>

He found his way into the kitchen and he froze when he saw who was making the sound. "Mei…" he gasped.

The girl turned around and seemed to be just as stunned when she saw him. "Yao-ge…"

The two took a step forward before breaking out into a run and embracing each other in a tight hug. "Mei! I can't believe you're alright ~aru"

"I am…" she smiled. "Xiang saved me."

"I'm so glad… ~aru" He smiled, burying his face into her hair when he realized something. He pulled back and began to observe her figure. "What… are you wearing?"

She blushed, stepping back slightly. "Um… Xiang's jacket? Does it look good?"

"That's not the point Mei! That's the only thing you're wearing! ~aru"

"Well I didn't have any other clothes and his closet was right there so… I hope he doesn't mind."

"I don't mind what?" Yao turned around and saw a shirtless Xiang standing in the doorway. He then took a double back at Mei and noticed a certain glow radiating from her. That's when he snapped.

Yao charged Xiang in a mad fury. Before he got any further, Arthur pushed Xiang out of the way and grabbed Yao in a bear hug but the Chinese man continued to kick and struggle as he tried to reach for Xiang. "How dare you ravage my sister when I'm not around! ~aru"

Xiang backed away from the raging man and snuck out of the kitchen, knowing that being there wouldn't help the situation. Mei looked worried and followed Xiang out of the kitchen in a hurried manner. After the two were gone, Arthur released his grip on Yao but didn't let go of his arm.

"Yao! Calm down. You can't kill the boy."

Yao relaxed, tugging his arm away from Arthur and huffing. "Fine but that doesn't mean I'm not angry ~aru."

The two men made their way back to the lounge but when they arrived, Arthur cursed, preparing to hold the other down and Yao's anger flared up once more. On the couch was Xiang who had Mei pulled into his lap and kissing very intimately in a French kiss. Before Yao could even charge, Arthur let out a loud cough to let them know that they were there and the two broke their kiss, Mei blushing embarrassed.

Yao calmed down somewhat and both men went over to sit on the couch opposite of them. "Well… if you two are done playing around, we can discuss what we're going to do."

"Sure," Xiang answered simply.

"Well, as I've told you, I've left the Organization. But that isn't the only thing; they will be after the both of us, Xiang. I think we need to leave the country."

"Leave the country?"

"Yes… I know it's not the bravest move we have but it is the safest one. I know that's a lot to take in and," he turned to Yao and then to Mei. "You two, I can't apologize enough for what has happened. But I think it's best if you go to. And it's asking a lot to leave your home and…"

"I'll agree to it," Mei interrupted. "I know I'm leaving a lot but… I want to be with Xiang."

"I see. What about you Yao?"

"I… think I need time ~aru."

"Understandable. Take as much time as you need but remember that we don't know how long we can stay hidden." Arthur was trying to remain sympathetic to him but they were in danger. If they stayed, Yao would be a constant target in order to lure out Xiang.

Yao nodded and looked down, thinking over what to do. "Well… while we wait for me to come up with something, why don't we eat?"

Everyone agreed and they had a simple meal made from Xiang's kitchen. Well, as simple as a professional chef could make it. The day was spent just relaxing and just enjoying the time they had together. Mei was more tired than them and retired to Xiang's room for the evening, leaving the three to just talk. Yao felt the awkwardness in the air and decided to leave to the kitchen while the two talked alone.

"Let's take a walk," Arthur suggested.

Xiang nodded and led Arthur out to the back of the mansion and into the garden. The lush and blossoming flowers sent their scent across the area, filling it with an exotic type of natural fragrance. The two silently walked through the garden until they reached the end of the long path.

"I sometimes forget how lonely these nights are but then I remember that I have someone special to always think about," Xiang said randomly.

"Again, I'm happy for you Xiang."

"Thanks…"

"But I know what you're going to do Xiang. It's dangerous."

"You and I both know that if I don't act first, they'll take revenge first."

"I've heard about Francis Bonnefoy, Xiang. He's dangerous if you get on his bad side."

"I put myself there. I don't regret it."

"What if something happens to you? That would leave Mei alone."

"… I know… but if I live my life like it was nothing, it'd be a dishonest life. He could appear at any moment so it's best if I do it sooner or later. Time is always important. And I want to spend as much of it as I can with her in peace."

"If that's what you want. I'll be here to support you till the end."

"Thank you Arthur, but don't worry about me so much. You need to find your own happiness too."

"That adventure might be a long shot," he chuckled.

Xiang smiled and chuckled along with him. "That happiness might be closer than you think you know. And I see the way you look at him too."

Arthur was speechless as he became flustered. Xiang was too observant sometimes and he hit the bull's eye. Xiang didn't comment on it any further as he walked back to the house, carrying a smile on his face.

* * *

><p>Mei lifted her head from the pillow she was resting on when the room's door opened and in came Xiang with a soft smile on his face. "Hey, did something happen?"<p>

"Not yet but it probably will soon enough."

"Sounds interesting."

Xiang nodded and plopped onto the bed with her. "I'm guessing you're not too tired after that nap, right?"

"That guess would be correct. But…" Mei quietly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "How about you make me that tired?" she said seductively.

"That can be arranged," he grinned, pulling her into a kiss. Mei closed her eyes, her body melting into the deep kiss until he pulled back slightly. "You know… you look good in my jacket…"

"I do…?" she asked softly.

"But… it'd look better on the floor," he smirked.

"Then help me," she insisted. She didn't have to say anything else after that.

* * *

><p>Yao had his ear pressed up against the wooden door to Xiang's room. Regardless if she loved him and whatnot, he was still her brother. And he would still be protective of his little sister.<p>

But as he eavesdropped on the two, within minutes he could hear Mei's soft moans through the door way. His fist tightened as his fury began to return. He considered breaking into the room and stopping them but before he could even continue the thought, a familiar shade of blond hair appeared in the corner of his eye.

"Having fun there?" Arthur asked, rhetorically.

Yao pulled away, blushing slightly. "I didn't see you there ~aru"

"You shouldn't be listening to them either way," he chuckled.

"She's my sister ~aru. I can't help but be protective."

"Come on, let's take a walk." Yao stood up straight and followed Arthur out of the mansion. "You know, if you smother her, she'll never be free."

"I know… but I've watched over her for so long."

"Just because she's found someone to love and care for her doesn't mean she's going to forget about you. You're her brother. She'll always remember you."

"I know… ~aru"

"And like a wise boy just told me, you need to search for your own happiness."

"Hm… is that an offer? ~aru" he asked, nervously.

"Do you even have to ask?"

Yao didn't have to answer that question as Arthur slipped his hand into his and the two spent the rest of the night together in that endless garden.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia<strong>

**A/n: Well... -/- here's the smut chapter I promised. Hope you guys um... liked it? Sorry if it was bad, I'm not exactly a professional at writing that kind of stuff. But anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the iggychu I've put in and this is official now just to confirm that :) Anyway, start to expect more action and drama in later chapters and the appearance of Matthew Williams! He shall be the focus for a bit because of connections. Can't say anymore or else it'd give away the plot. Anyway, thank you to my readers and reviewers. Especially the reviewers, you guys give me confidence that I'm not terrible ^^ Bye for now and until the next update.**


	19. Chapter 19: Ending Ties

_Emerging from the days gone by, a new tomorrow begins but the bonds of those unwilling to move forward are shattered_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 19:**_

_**Ending Ties**_

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The tension that filled the room was pure malice as Francis glared at the screen of his computer. An entire branch of his was obliterated in just one night. It was his largest and most secure company out of his smaller ones and it was taken out like nothing.

But the one piece of information he obtained was something that greatly displeased him. It was just one individual who demolished the branch. Before his men told him who it was; Francis already had a clue to his identity. The top assassin of the Organization, Xiang.

Francis knew the kid was good but he didn't know he'd be such a monster. He even hired extra muscle in order to make sure he wouldn't be able to get past his security and yet he still managed to get through, get what he wanted, and obliterate his building.

The debris and rubble from it was causing Francis a lot of grief as well. He found that most of his "products" had escaped during the entire scuffle. And even more troublesome was the police investigating what Francis did for a living. Luckily, he was able to put most of the blame on the one he left in charge of the building and the man was dead so he couldn't say anything in his defense.

Despite that, the police were still watching him. But they weren't the main problem right now. He wanted revenge. And that's why he called a meeting with the leader of the Organization. They were the ones who were supposed to tame that monster or at least could handle him. And he wanted recompense for the damages caused.

His computer screen suddenly lit up and in came an image of Kiku Honda. "Kiku…" he greeted.

"Francis. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Cut the chit chat Kiku. You know why I've called."

"If it's about our assassin running loose, I did warn you about him. And we are no longer associated with him. He has been exiled from this organization and we don't ever have to hear about him unless he makes an appearance of himself."

"That's the problem. He destroyed my building, jeopardized my business and humiliated me. I want him dead."

"I'm sorry to inform you but we have no idea where he is."

"You better find where he is or else."

"You dare to threaten us, Francis?"

"You can't scare me Kiku. You know how I work and I'm not above playing the old blackmail trick."

"We have ways—"

"If you don't kill him," he interrupted. "I will expose your entire organization. My private investigators haven't gathered much from you all but just enough to get the police into your business. And once they do, they'll find more and more until you're ruined. And don't even bother killing me. I have someone watching over the information. If I don't respond to him every twenty four hours, he will release the information."

Kiku narrowed his eyes as angry flared up in those brown eyes of his. "Well played. Your threat is… substantial and we can avoid the police or silence them with the proper methods but if taking out one assassin is all it takes then it will be done."

Francis seemed to relax a bit. "Then you'll take care of him?"

"Rest assured that we'll use our means to get rid of him. Even if he was the top assassin of our organization, replacements happen all the time. And we are the strongest in what we do."

"Good, I'll wait for your response then." Francis turned off his computer, leaning back into his chair. "Mon dieu… I never thought he'd accept…"

He pressed a transmitter on his desk and waited for the other line to get through. "Get in contact with my two associates. We have something that needs to be discussed."

* * *

><p>Xiang sighed as he leaned back into his chair, staring at the six computer screens in front of him. He removed his glasses from his eyes and placed them down, rubbing his eyes. He spent the last few days trying to track down Francis but he came up with only a few pages of useful information, not enough to find where his hiding place was.<p>

"You should take a break." Xiang turned around in his seat and saw Mei carrying a drink with her. "The door was open," she explained.

"I see." Mei continued over to him until she was sitting in his lap and giving him the drink. "I can't rest till I find him…"

"I know that you're worried about finding him but it won't do you any good to be working yourself like this."

"I'm fine. Spending time with you is more than enough to get me going. Especially our… nightly activities."

Mei blushed but smiled. "You can be so embarrassing sometimes, but I love it too."

"It's what I do," he smiled.

Mei lifted the drink up to him and he took a grateful sip of the sweet liquid before returning his attention back to his computer monitors. "What are you looking for anyway?"

"Just anything about Francis but I can't find anything… I've searched his businesses too but he's been quiet."

"I see… so you can't find anything?"

"Nothing useful anyway."

"How about you look for his workers and find Francis that way?"

Xiang turned his attention to Mei and just stared at her. "That's… brilliant."

"It is?" she asked, stunned.

"It's obvious Francis would keep himself hidden and his business but I know those kinds of people. They don't really care about their subordinates. If I find some, they might lead me to him some way or another."

"That makes sense…" she looked down sadly. "I just don't like the fact that you have to… kill these people."

"I know… since meeting you I don't like the fact that I have to but I know that I do. I won't justify what I'm doing is right. There is nothing right about taking another's life unless they deserve it or threaten ours. So I'll make a vow to you now that I won't kill unless I have to or if they deserve it."

"Then you won't kill these subordinates?"

"Not unless it's the only thing I can do. But I am going to scare the living daylights out of them to get what I need."

"Hopefully they'll get the message and leave that kind of business too."

"We'll see. But for now, I'm going to see if I can find the routes that they patrol. If they've just lost that many people to their sex slave trafficking, I'm sure they'll want more to replace them. And I'll be there to stop them."

"I'll stay with you until you have to go, but promise me you'll be safe."

"I promise."

* * *

><p>Francis sighed as he pushed his paper work away and took out a glass of wine, sipping at the red liquid. He was working hard on covering up the building's demolishment and the lost of product but in order to deal with most of these problems, he needed money and for that he needed women. But after the incident, his reputation was put in a hard place because clients were afraid to go to his businesses now after it and he lost more than half of his revenue.<p>

Today however, he was going to try and relax. He picked one of his houses in the country to rest at and wait for his special guest to arrive.

His son.

Getting out of his chair and looking through the windows and out into the lake that rested before him, he smiled. He lost his wife long ago when she left him, only a couple years after his son was born. Rightly, she had guardianship over him but tragically she caught a disease and died. Francis took him in after and he made sure to take care of the boy and give him anything and everything he needed. Obviously he kept parts of his life secret to him.

It was a necessity. His son was always a quiet one but he was honest and a person he was proud to know and be his father. And most of all, his son was the one thing in his life, that he thought he did right. He brought him up into a fine individual.

But it's because of that pure being he ended up being, Francis more than ever had to keep this life of his a secret. To avoid tainting his son. He didn't want him to be disappointed in him and he didn't want him to learn about the illegal things he did in order to keep them alive and prosperous.

Ringing throughout the house was the doorbell and Francis immediately broke out from his nostalgia and waltzed over to the door as French music played in the background. When he opened the door, his smile radiated from his being as he greeted his son.

"Matthew! Mon petit fils. It's been far too long."

"I'm not so little anymore papa," he smiled.

"Of course. Well come in, we need to catch up."

Matthew nodded shyly and walked into the home. Francis led the man into the lounge, leading him to a seat where snacks and drinks were already laid out for them. As he admired his son, he couldn't help but smile. He had grown up into a fine individual. He had his wavy blonde hair but he was taller than him. And his shyness gave him that extra charm that was almost too adorable to make him a boy.

"So how have you been?" Francis asked.

"I've been well papa. But work has been really busy lately."

"Is that so? What's been happening, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's no bother. The police department has been going into chaos ever since the chief died and we still haven't found a replacement so we're disorganized and work has been piling up."

"That sounds very stressful."

"It is but it's not overwhelming," he assured.

"So I assume your partner is doing well too?"

"Alfred? Yeah… he's really loud and energetic but he means well. He's like the brother I never wanted," he chuckled.

"I'm glad you have good company."

"Enough about me papa; how are you doing?"

"Honestly, I've been better. But seeing you has brightened my mood significantly."

"Is something wrong?"

"Just the business isn't doing so well."

"But the restaurant looks like it's doing well. Well the economy isn't doing so well either so…"

"Well… let's just say we're losing costumers."

Francis put up a fake smile but he was a good actor so it looked real enough. He had to lie about what he did. He bought a restaurant for the sole sake of making sure Matthew never learned about what he did. And he made sure the restaurant had absolutely no connections besides himself. Everything was paid by the restaurant and it was doing well but this life he created, Francis had grown accustomed to it.

The underground business was like a drug to him. He knew it was bad and he wanted to stop but he couldn't. He was too deep in the job and somewhere inside of him, he didn't want to stop. He liked the thrill of it all and even though it was a lonely occupation, as long as he had Matthew, he would be fine living like this.

"The food is delicious though. And all the servers are so kind and helpful."

"It's just people nowadays. And I'm afraid many of them are hearing very awful rumors in the city."

"I think I know what you mean. That guy who's destroyed the building a few days ago."

Francis resisted the urge to tense up. "Yes. The people are being more cautious and staying home so that's very bad for business you know."

"Well I'm sure things will turn around. And don't worry papa. I'm sure the police will capture this guy and put him behind bars."

"I'll trust you on that. But I'm wondering Matthew. Why don't you try to become the chief?"

"Me? T-the chief? No, I could never take that place."

"Why ever not? You're smart and good leadership material."

"But I'm quiet and shy…"

"I know my own son, Matthew. I know when it comes down to it; you can do anything you put your mind to. And if not, you have those around you to help too."

Matthew smiled at his father. "Merci papa."

"De rien Matthew."

He smiled and bit into some cheese and crackers. "Well… let's toast to our future?"

"Let's." Francis poured both of them a cup and raising their glasses, their clanked them together, the red liquid stirring within.

* * *

><p>The lights of the city flashed in a brilliant array of random neon colors, attracting people like flies to a match. As people flocked to the clubs and bars, the night's air chilled the area and those waiting out in lines. Those with flare and money usually got in without the wait. But there were those few innocents that were out just trying to have fun with their friends.<p>

Those innocent girls were the perfect targets for them. Two men dressed in clothes suitable for club bouncers walked up to the girls and gave them all a smile. "You ladies waiting to get in?"

"Yes we are," they said excitedly.

"Well we can take you to the back entrance and out of this cold."

The two girls looked cautiously at the two but from their attire they put a little trust in it. They nodded and the two men smirked, leading them toward the back. As they walked further in, the two girls looked around and saw no signs of a back entrance anywhere. "Are we getting anywhere?"

"Sure…"

The man quickly grabbed one of the girls and shoved a rag into her mouth. The other screamed and prepared to run but the other grabbed her by the arm, pulling her in and taking out a rag. "Hurry up man before other people show up!"

"I know!"

"Somebody help!" she yelled.

"Shut up, no one's going to help you," he laughed.

The girl closed her eyes, expecting the rag to be pressed to her lips but suddenly, she felt the grip holding her released and a loud thud. She opened her eyes and saw the guy holding her out cold on the ground as the other was backing up and pulling out a knife. Before she could even turn around, a shadow passed right before her eyes and in a quick blow, the guy was disarmed and knocked flat on his face. The girl blinked a few times before her friend was pushed into her arms. Looking over her friends head, she saw a dark figure cloaked in black and picking up the two men.

"W-who are you…?"

"Go home…" He threw one of the guy's over his shoulder and began to drag the other down the alleyway, not for a moment looking back to the stunned girl.

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><p>Xiang sighed as he took the knocked out men to the outskirts of the city. Throwing them into the corner of a few trees, he took out a little squirt bottle and sprayed the two men. In a few minutes, they began to stir and one of them woke up in a daze. As he looked up, he began to struggle when he realized the situation he was in.<p>

"Don't bother, I've tied both of you together and your feet are bound so unless you want to crawl in the dirt with one of you in it, I suggest you listen and answer my questions."

"You bastard, let us go."

"After you answer my questions. You tried to kidnap those girls tonight. I want to know who for."

The man scowled and turned his head away.

Xiang sighed, walking up to the man and crouching down and making him face him. "Let me phrase this better, tell me what I want and maybe you'll still have a working throat."

The man cowered as he tried to avoid Xiang's death glare. "A-alright, I'll tell you. My boss told us to kidnap girls and take them to—"

A gun was suddenly shot and the guy's body went limp. Xiang quickly took evasive action as he dived behind the tree as another gunshot was fired. "How dare one of them actually try and reveal his location."

Xiang tensed up as he hid behind the tree. The voice was familiar; someone from his past that he nearly killed but ended up not because of orders. "It can't be you…"

"But it is. Why don't you step out from that tree and see for yourself."

Xiang knew it was a stupid idea to go out but he needed to confirm his identity. Taking out the gun he kept with him, he sprung out and shot at the guy. The clank of the bullet hitting something metal echoed through the empty area and Xiang's eyes widened as he saw him.

The man was tall and his hair a grayish black. His face looked hard and rough as he held a smirk out his face. But that wasn't the most redeeming feature Xiang saw, it was the fact that he was holding his arm out where he had shot.

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Nick… you should be dead after what I did to you."

"You're right. But I'm not. You know what happened after you slaughtered me during that training? You broke so many of my bones that I had to get implantments. They've replace most of my entire body with metal ligaments. True I feel cold on the inside but you know what warms me? The hate I have for you. A little boy almost killing a full grown man. I've waited for this day."

"So you've covered yourself in strengthened metal and your joints are… unbreakable?"

"That's right. There's no way you can beat me with guns or knives."

"I see… in that case… bye." Xiang turned around and ran into the trees.

Nick stared blankly at what happened before he began to give chase. "Get back here runt!"

Xiang wasn't going to fight against an enemy that would be immune to all his weapons and fighting hand-to-hand against someone like that was probably suicide. He needed to find something to work with and as he came up to a hospital under renovations he got an idea. Using the darkness to cover himself from Nick's tracking.

Leaping out of the forest, Xiang was now in the open and heading toward the hospital. The only people around the area would be security and Xiang could easily avoid them but if they crossed paths with Nick, it would be certain they would end up dead. Xiang spiraled around to the back of the hospital, trying to stick to the darkness so Nick would follow and if Xiang ran into anyone, he would make sure they got out of the way.

Once Xiang reached the back door, he quickly picked the lock and barged into the hospital. The lights were out and as a hospital should be, it was clean. As Xiang ran further into the hospital, he could hear the clanking of someone behind him and he knew who it was. But this time he had a plan. The moment he saw a door, he opened it and looked around the place, rummaging through the medicines and drugs until he found what he needed. Taking to syringes and filling them up with one of the drugs he needed, he went back outside and got ready.

Jumping onto the walls, he climbed the vertical surface until he planted his hand and foot on the other end until he was suspended and in wait. Luckily all the lights were off and only the clanking of metal could be heard.

"Xiang! Where are you? The top assassin running away from a fight doesn't seem very good." Xiang stayed silent, listening intently on Nick to arrive.

"If you keep running I guess that means I'm better than you, huh?" he sneered. Ignoring his taunts, Xiang waited until his eyes could see the shadowed figure of him running.

Timing his jump was crucial. As the figure approached closer and closer, Xiang readied himself. When Nick passed right under him, Xiang released his hold and landed straight on the guy's back. Before he could even struggle, Xiang impaled his neck with the syringe and pushed in the drug.

Nick's movements slowed instantly as he wobbled around and then landed flat on his face. Xiang took a deep breath before he began to drag the body to a different location. "An assassin is silent and adaptive… not a walking tin can."

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><p>Nick began to stir and his eyes instantly snapped opened. He was under something but as he tried to move, he found he was bound to a table by a thick rope. The lights flashed on and for a moment blinded him until the image of Xiang came into view.<p>

"You bastard! What did you do to me?"

"Just put you to sleep. And since you were asleep for so long, how about I give you something to eat."

Xiang took out his pistol and emptied the shells before rolling them around in his hand. "You like metal in you right? How about some more?" Xiang took out a dagger and began to run it along his arm in one swift streak.

The man cried out at his bare flesh being pierced. But as he continued to yell, Xiang dropped bullet after bullet into his mouth and forced him to swallow but cutting of his air. After a few minutes of this process, Xiang was out and looked down at the panting man.

"B-bastard…"

"It's your fault. I just took advantage of your open mouth and I figured that only the front of your arms have the metal plating."

The man growled at him along with an intense glare. Xiang shrugged it off and stepped back. "Now tell me. Who sent you?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Do you know where Francis is?"

"I said I wasn't going to tell you anything!"

Xiang shook his head as he began to walk toward the door of the small room. "You know… we're in a MRI room… and that thing you're strapped under, it's an MRI. You know what that means?"

"What the hell would I know that!"

"It's a very powerful magnet. And you know what is attracted to magnets? Metal."

The man's eyes widened as he realized what could happen. "N-no… no… no!"

"Tell me what I want to know and maybe I won't turn it on."

"O-Okay I'll tell you anything you want," he stammered. "Honda Kiku hired me to get to you."

"Hm… the Organization is involved…"

"And from the little that I know, Francis was the one who commissioned the thing. And Francis must be at his building at the other corner of town. You can't miss it."

"Is that all?"

"I swear that's all I know! Let me go!"

"I said maybe," Xiang stated.

The Cantonese boy stepped out of the room, locking the door and watching the man struggle intensely. Xiang stepped over to the control pad and flipped the switch. Within that instant, the MRI turned on and the man screamed out until bloodied bullets came flying out of his stomach. Then after that, the metal on the front of his skin ripped off, letting blood flow from the nonexistent flesh. The worst and bloodiest part came next. The white of his bones showed as the metal in them were ripped out of his body and hit the MRI.

Xiang turned off the lights and stepped out, the sight of seeing his empty eyes and motionless body confirming what he wanted to do.

As Xiang walked out of the hospital, he considered what was happening. The Organization was now after him. His ties to that business broken and replaced with a dangerous link.

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><p><strong>Discliamer: I don't own Hetalia or the characters, just the story and plot<strong>

**A/n: Sorry for taking so long to upload this guys. I've had it done for a while now but I've been working on the entire novel and you can expect regular updates soon. Anyway, short summary, won nanowrimo and almost done with Under the Light but there are more chapters, just haven't uploaded them yet. Well as I promised in the last chapter, Matthew has appeared and he starts to have a bigger roll in the next few chapters. Nick isn't anyone from the series, just a scapegoat I needed. Well I hoped you enjoyed the chapter, I know it was a bit short. Thank you to my dear readers and especially the reviewers :) **

**Until the next update, see you later~**


	20. Chapter 20: Strife's Boundary

_Hate is created out of love but vengeance possesses all who walk the path of hate; leading to a unavoidable conflict _

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 20:**_

_**Strife's Boundary**_

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Francis stared down the television, the news of a person being killed in a MRI flashed all over. "Merde…" he cursed, slamming his fist into the table.

Francis pulled his hand back, furrowing his eyes as he thought about the situation. That man was the one who Kiku assigned to kill Xiang. And obviously the idiot died and wasn't successful. Tapping his fingers against his wooden desk, he opened his eyes. "If you want the job done right, you have to do it yourself…"

Picking up his phone he dialed the number and held the phone against his ear. "It's me. I have a job I need you to do. No it doesn't involving kidnapping. I need you to kill a certain individual but be careful, he's dangerous. I'll pay you quadruple the amount I usually give if you can kill him. And when you do, make sure to write down every single detail of his death, I want to enjoy it."

Putting the phone down, a knock from the door came but instead of anyone answering, it was kicked opened and in came his too associates. "No need to worry, the awesome me is here!"

Francis shook his head as he took out two cups for his friends. The one walking up and blocking his view of the other room was the most daring out of the trio. He had shiny silver white hair and blood red eyes but a smirk that was full of confidence. "Gilbert, why do you always have to do that? I have to have someone fix the lock now…"

"You have money dude. Aren't you glad to see us?"

"Yes but let Antonio speak for dear's sake."

The lightly brown skinned Spaniard poked his green eyes out from behind Gilbert and waved. "Hola mi amigo! I trust you've been well."

"Could be better," he admitted, pouring their cups with red wine.

Gilbert plopped into one of the seats and laid his legs out on a footrest. "Yeah, I heard about what happened. Big problems."

"Si, whoever did it doesn't know who they're dealing with."

"On the contrary my friends, that person knows very well who he's dealing with. And he's dangerous enough to do it too."

"But you're going to have him taken care of, right?" Gilbert asked.

"Of course mon ami. I've sent a team after him. And they've been given information on him. They should be able to deal with the situation."

"Hey, what happens if he comes after you?" Gilbert teased.

"That would be frightening indeed. Truly terrifying…"

* * *

><p>Xiang had spent the rest of last night preparing to assault Francis at his hideout and spending that time resting with Mei. She was worried about it but when he told her what had actually happened the night before, she was both shocked and pleased. She was glad he avoided killing the men but stunned that a hitman was sent after him.<p>

"Xiang, do you know what this means?" Arthur asked.

"The Organization is hired to kill me… and based on what we've learned working with them, they always succeed."

"But aren't you the reason why they succeeded most of the time?" Mei asked.

"Yes, but the Organization has done a lot even before me. They've dealt with various missions of deadly proportions but I was just the one who dealt with deadly and nearly impossible missions. Plus since I was just a team of one, it was better since it wouldn't cost as much and stealth was of top priority."

"Oh I see."

"Anyway, Xiang you have to be more careful and vigilant."

"I will but for now, I'll take care of Francis."

Xiang picked up his jacket, throwing it on and lifting his bag and swinging it onto his back. "Be safe," Mei prayed.

He nodded to her, giving her a swift kiss before leaving the house. Hopping into his car, he checked his weapon supplies and once he was sure he had what he needed, he drove off. This was his quest for revenge. He needed to avenge what happened to Mei and whoever got in his way, he would treat them just as torturously.

As Xiang grew closer and closer to his target, without any warning, two vehicles drove out of the empty freeway and enclosed Xiang. Even as he tried to accelerate and escape, the cars just continued to box him in. They didn't seem to have any intention of crashing into him but they were doing something. They were forcing him to follow their path and soon enough, he learned where.

Xiang was forced into a wider area and surrounding them where storage facilities of all kinds. Wooden crates lined the place as wired fences kept the area sealed off save for the main entrance. Within a few seconds, Xiang was forced to stop but he readied his gun as he stepped out of the car.

Men began to appear from behind the crates and exiting the storage houses in large numbers. The obvious leader stood in a fancier suit and carried a smug expression on his face. "Who knew it'd be this easy to trap the top assassin. Or should I say former assassin." Xiang stayed silent, palming his gun and ready to act if he needed to. "Sorry but I'll have to keep this conversation short. If you don't die, my boss will have my head."

Knowing that he was completely surrounded, Xiang quickly took out a stun grenade, throwing it into the air and taking out ear plugs for himself. Believing that he was trying to commit suicide with an actual grenade, the gunners began to drop their guns and make a run for it. Within seconds the bomb went off, sending a bright flash and screeching sound wave throughout the proximity. The men around the area pulled their hands to their ears to attempt to shield the sound but to no avail. Xiang took this opportunity to rush the disoriented leader and slammed his foot into his chest, knocking him onto the ground. He quickly removed a syringe from his side bag and plunged it into the man's arm. The man screamed from the sharp pain of the needle but no one heard him.

Xiang bent down and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and began to drag him off into another place, intending to get rid of the body while everyone was deafened. One of the men, reaching his senses just as Xiang was beyond in the distance began to run after him. As soon as he did reach Xiang, he was stopped at the puzzling scene. The body was nowhere to be seen and Xiang stood quietly by a wooden crate.

"W-where's the boss!" he shouted.

Xiang turned his body slowly to face the henchmen, showing no signs of shock or any emotion for that matter. "You mean you're leader, he's in this crate."

"W-what!" The man ignored Xiang and ran to the crate to see his employer. The man had his eyes closed and he didn't show any signs of life. "Y-you killed him!" The man reached for his back pocket to pull out his gun but found nothing but the bare fabric.

Xiang began to twirl a gun around in his hand as the man frantically searched for his. "You really should be more careful with this thing," Xiang announced in his monotone voice. "Someone can easily steal it."

"You-!" the man breathed out a defeated grunt and stepped back.

"You know your boss isn't dead… yet."

"W-what?" asked the man, confused.

"I paralyzed him with tetrodotoxin. In a simpler term, he's asleep for now."

"What's the point of that!"

Xiang shrugged and moved to the side of the crate. "He needed to suffer. Anyone associated with that man deserves this for trying to hurt her..." Xiang then removed a darkened jar from his bag and held it over the crate.

"W-what's that?"

"Spiders. Black widow spiders." The man's eyes grew wide with fear. "I wonder how your boss will feel once he wakes up to a hundred spiders laying their eggs inside his carcass. It doesn't matter anyway, I'm sure it'll be horrible."

The man, wanting to save his employer rushed Xiang with his fist held high for a punch. Xiang only placed the jar on the ground next to him and grabbed the center of the man's shirt before he even got closer enough and threw him into the crate along with the leader. Xiang then calmly reached down for the jar once again and looked at the man, his face full of fear.

"Well, looks like you'll be able to find out for yourself huh?" Before the man could jump back out, Xiang slammed the jar into the man's face, breaking the glass and releasing the hundred spiders. The man began to scream as the spiders crawled all over the bodies inside the crate and as they began to inject their venom into his body with piercing bites. Xiang quickly moved over to the side of the crate and threw on the lid and nailed it down with a nearby hammer. Xiang stood there for only a moment as the sound of the man's screaming died down and he turned his back and stepped away from the scene.

"Time to deal with the others…"

* * *

><p>Matthew gripped the handle of the car as tightly as possible as Alfred got into the driver's seat. The man was terrified of the other's driving for many different reasons. Since they were policemen, whenever they got called out on an emergency, they didn't have to obey the speed limits and that's when Alfred begged to drive. He always won and always drove like a madman.<p>

Matthew was preparing himself for the experience and the moment he started the car, the sirens went off and he sped out of the parking lot in a screeching speed. Alfred held a wide grin as he drove onto the freeway and out to the corner of the city in a terrifying rush. Despite the disregard for the speed limit, Alfred surprisingly never hit anything but these sorts of drives nearly gave Matthew a heart attack.

"Alfred! Slow down! It's just a call about a disturbance!"

"I heard the mention of guns being fired; no way am I slowing down! Whoa!"

Alfred however liked the adrenaline that rushed through his veins as he sped through the streets and freeway. The entire world whizzed pass him in a blur and the thrill was something he'd never give up. But even if he liked driving this fast, he was serious. There was a time for games and there were times were life and death could be easily tipped depending on what happened. He knew when to act.

As the two approached their destination, a black car pulled out from the lot and drove away at a high speed. Normally they would follow it but they were assigned to check the grounds and that's exactly what they had to do. They didn't know if there were any civilians around.

Pulling into the lot, Alfred came to a startling stop as his eyes grew wide. "Gah… Al, what are you stopping… for… My god…"

Matthew blinked a few times as he got of the car, rubbing his eyes together. Alfred followed and just as shocked. "Was there a war here…?"

Lying in front of them were the bloodied corpses of around a hundred men. Red streaks were painted across wooden crates as bodies lay at the end of the trails. Arms and legs were blown across the area and those were the only recognizable parts. Matthew tried not to vomit from the sight as he turned his head away from the scene. There were some bodies that were just too gruesome to even describe. Some had blown open chests and others had their eyes ripped out, leaving bloodied holes.

Matthew shook his head as he went back into the car, trying to calm himself as he felt his dinner coming back on him. Alfred got back into the car, just as sickened but he was doing the logical thing and calling for backup. "I don't know what happened here… but we need help for whatever did this…"

"Just… give me a minute… or an hour…"

"I know what you mean… But we can't just sit around here. We need to follow after that black car that drove out earlier. Whoever was it in might be responsible for this or saw what happened. We need to go, now."

Matthew nodded wordlessly as he leaned back into his seat. "Just get us out of here."

"You don't even have to ask." Alfred stepped on the accelerator and backed out of the place in a hurry.

That was one of the times Matthew was grateful for Alfred's reckless driving. It got them out of there before Matthew lost it.

* * *

><p>Xiang hid his car in a different parking lot and swiftly ran toward his target building. Using the cover of the night, he slipped pass any of the obstructions blocking his way and soon came within the view of the tower. He had to use stealth now because of the cameras and guards.<p>

Holding still, he watched the movements of the cameras, counting the seconds of a rotation. In just a few minutes, he found their path and ran in. Silent footsteps drove him closer and closer until he had his back pressed against the cold wall and under the camera's radar. He looked up and saw something. A window.

The glass plating was different compared to the others. This one was wider in length and the only building that had a balcony. The difference was clear but it was an obvious target. It could be a trap but it was the likeliest location based on Francis' tastes.

Either way, it was the easiest spot for him to climb. Taking out a grappling hook, he tossed the hook up to the balcony and locked it onto the stone. Scaling the wall, he made sure to move slowly and to keep himself from alerting the guards. He wanted to avoid conflict as much as possible. The only one who deserved his wrath was in sight.

With only a foot left, Xiang used his arms and pulled himself over the ledge. Landing quietly onto the balcony, he saw through the curtains were the silhouetted figures of three men. Two of them seemed to be chatting and drinking wine while the other was walking around but participating in the conversation as well.

Whoever the other two, it would be in their best interest not to get involved at all but their deaths didn't matter to Xiang as long as Francis ended up dead. Taking out his sword he readied himself. He needed the Frenchman's death to be slow and painful.

Not wasting any more time, he leaped forward and shattered the glass in front of him in a storm of shards. Xiang burst into the room, carrying his sword and ready to strike down anyone that got in his path. The three men all turned their attention to Xiang and were stunned at his appearance. Xiang disregarded the other two and focused on his blond target. Francis.

"It's you!" he cried out.

The light tanned man without any warning charged Xiang with his fists raised high. There was a fire in his eyes that told Xiang he was loyal to his friends but he didn't know how long that would last under some pressure. Ducking under the swing of his fist, Xiang returned a powerful blow to his fast and then elbowed his stomach, knocking him over the desk and into the other end of the room. The startled Spaniard groaned at the blows and the new bruises he would be receiving.

He opened his eyes and looked back at Xiang. But what he saw made his burning blood go cold and made him cower. The malice and rage in Xiang's eyes made them darken and strike terror into him. He knew he was no match for the assassin. And it was either his life or Francis'. He chose his.

The Spaniard stumbled around before bursting out of the room in a hurry. Francis cursed and screamed out at him. "Antonio! Get back here you coward!"

"He was smart…" Xiang murmured.

Francis scowled at Xiang as he backed up, reaching into his coat. But before he took out whatever he had, the white haired man put an arm in front of Francis as he stepped forward with a smug look on his face as if he intended to take on Xiang. The assassin turned his glare to him and that plan instantly got ruined.

He saw the desire for vengeance and power in his eyes. Despite realizing this he still held his smug look although not as confident. "Francis…" He turned around and quickly went out the door. "Sorry! But I don't want to die just yet!"

Francis' face was full of rage as he was abandoned to face Xiang alone. Without any more distractions, he took out a gun to shoot Xiang but the Asian was faster and already had his own gun out. He shot the Frenchman's gun out of his hand and threw a punch into his face. The man was knocked back and crashed into the wall before crumbling to the ground.

"You should pick better friends…"

"Shut up…" Francis began to crawl for the door but Xiang stopped on his moving hand and shut the door before locking it.

"You won't be going anywhere. Not until I'm done with you…"

Xiang lifted his foot and kicked the man over until he lied on his back. He then forced his hands together and got ready for his next move. Raising his blade, he stabbed both hands and held him in place. Xiang took out a dagger and slashed at the tendons of his legs; severing the connection and making his limbs go limp. He wasn't done however; he was going to make him suffer more until he satisfied his bloodlust.

Kneeling down, Xiang began to slowly trail his knife along the top of his chest and lower, making sure the cut wasn't deep enough to break to his organs but enough so that his skin was broken. He wasn't going to make him an example. Anyone that got in Xiang's way would end up like this or even worse.

* * *

><p>Matthew and Alfred pulled into the parking lot of the only building in the area. Wherever their assailant was heading, this was the only place they could have stopped at. As they got out of the car, guards began to rearrange themselves, knowing that it was the police. As they got out of the car, Matthew glanced up and saw a broken window at the top. He pointed to let Alfred know and he nodded.<p>

The two began to run toward the tower but at the entrance there were met with resistance. "Sorry, I'm afraid we can't allow you to enter."

"Why not!" Alfred cried.

"This is a private business and unless you have a search warrant, we won't be permitting you to enter."

"We have probably cause," Matthew interrupted. "There was a massacre down a few miles and we saw a suspicious car going this way.

The guards were unfazed by the news and maintained their hard faces. "We still won't allow anyone passage unless we've been notified of their arrival."

Matthew sighed in frustration at the stubborn guards. They could possibly be harboring a murder and they weren't worried in the least. Or they could be the murders too. As Matthew looked over to Alfred, the guy gave him a wink and looked at the guards.

The American charged at the guards, screaming at the top of his lungs as he tried to barge his way in. "Let me in you jerks!"

All the guards tried to suppress Alfred without hurting him. They knew he was a policeman and if one of them died in their care, they would be in trouble. As the guards tried to handle Alfred, Matthew realized the sign and snuck pass the guards. However they didn't even seem to notice that he was there in the first place so it was easy slipping by.

Matthew remembered the floor where the broken window was and began to run up the stairs to it. Counting each level, he came closer to his destination until he reached the floor. Ignoring his lack of breath, he continued and pulled out his gun before he could hear the screams ringing down the hallway. But what terrified him the most was the familiarity of the voice.

He prayed and prayed it was just his mind playing tricks on him as he came face to face with the door standing in his way of the sound. The voice, despite the horrifying scream was just too familiar. It was the same.

He shook his head and banged on the door. "Open up! Police!"

The screams suddenly subsided but what came after made his eyes widen. A single gunshot rung in his ears. Matthew raised his leg and slammed it into the door, breaking it off its hinges and opening it. He ran into the room, his eyes circling the office before they saw a shadowed figure leap from the balcony. But that wasn't the thing that made his skin go cold with goosebumps.

Matthew dropped to his knees, his body going numb. "P-papa…?"

The man turned his head to the side and smiled through the blood that he coughed up. "M-Matthew…"

The Canadian crawled over to his father as he held both of his hands, his own trembling. "P-papa… who… why…?"

"M-Matthew… there are things… I've kept from you… things that I thought would ruin you. Change the way you saw… me…" Francis began to cough up more blood, the gunshot wound in his chest spreading more.

"Papa don't talk. We'll get you help. It doesn't matter…"

"N-No…" he interrupted. "It's too late for me… but listen… listen to your papa's final words."

"N-No…! Please…!" he cried.

"No matter what you learn about me… no matter what has happened before… trust me… that I have always… always loved you… You were the only pure thing in my life… And I didn't want to tell you what I was because… I wanted you to stay that way…"

"Papa no!" Tears began to stream down his face as his hands shook uncontrollably.

Closing his eyes, he held an honest smile on his face. "… I'm glad… that I could see you… one last… time…"

Francis' arms became limp in Matthew's hands as the heat from his body began to slowly fade away. "P-papa…? W-wake up… please… no!" Matthew pulled his father's body into his chest, burying his face into his hair as he cried. The lost of his only family breaking and tearing away his heart.

* * *

><p>Kiku closed his eyes as he watched the news unfold. Aside from the massacre, the death of one individual caught his attention. Francis. The man was dead. Killed by an unknown assailant but tortured before his death. Kiku knew it was Xiang. No one else had the skill or ability to do all of that.<p>

But that was aside from his worries. A single envelope came to him. It told him that the Organization was still being threatened with the release of its information. That if news of Xiang's death didn't reach whoever it was, that it would be given to the public to see.

Kiku didn't need to be reminded.

It was more personal now. It wasn't about the secrets anymore. Xiang had humiliated them by killing off the hitman they sent. And made Francis an example to try and threaten them. The Organization wasn't one to be taunted with or fooled with. Even if they had to reach further into darker means, they would take his life. But before his life, they would take away the reason he lived. And he knew of the perfect person who dealt with that.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia or the characters, just the plot and story<strong>

**A/n: Yay, another update and such a heart jerking moment between Francis and Matthew u.u Like I promised, Matthew does get a bigger role and the next chapter will be all about him and Alfred. And again, updates will come quickly now that I have so many ready to be uploaded. Thank you my dear readers and reviewers, I appreciate everything you do :) Until the next update, see you later~**


	21. Chapter 21: Somber Vengeance

_Vengeance brings nothing but destruction and malice to those who seek it; even if it's for a righteous reason, it brings emptiness once fulfilled. _

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 21:**_

_**Somber Vengeance**_

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Xiang stared at the dark ceiling hovering above him. Minutes ticked away to hours as a strange feeling was left in him. Or rather, an emptiness he didn't know how to describe. He had done it. He killed the source of his rage. The man that threatened Mei's existence was dead.

But when he left that building, a hole seemed to open in the pit of his chest. He tried closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep but that wasn't good enough. The feeling was just too much to ignore and pass off as something that would fade.

As he tried to sleep, his restlessness disturbed Mei. Yawning, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him closer and burying her face in his chest. "What's wrong… you haven't been sleeping…"

"It's nothing…"

"It can't be nothing if it's bothering you this much."

"You know I killed him…"

"I know…," she replied.

"But even though he's dead, there's some kind of… empty feeling in my chest."

"I don't know if I'm right or not but it might be the vengeance. Now that it's over, its completeness left that feeling within you."

"I hear that should leave you completely empty though."

"You didn't make it your life mission. You didn't let it consume you."

"I couldn't. I wouldn't. I have you."

She smiled, hugging him tighter. "Then I'll make sure to be the one to fill that hole until you overflow with happiness."

"You already do that, Mei. I just need a bit of time but I love you," he smiled.

"I love you too."

The two of them hugged and Xiang suddenly turned serious. "I think… we should consider Arthur's offer and leave…"

"I said I would."

"I know. But we should get ready. We don't know how fast we'll have to."

"So… we pack?"

"Basically yes. We should go to your house at some point and get anything you need."

"My music! I haven't touched those scores in a while."

"So we'll plan to get everything you need, kay?"

She nodded and closed her eyes. "There's just one song… that I needed you to finish…"

"Can't wait to hear it…" he whispered.

* * *

><p>Matthew stared soullessly at the headstone of his father. His eyes darkened circles from crying and lack of sleep. When he thought about how his father died, he wished he could have stopped whoever it was. But again, he didn't know who his father really was. He was a human trafficker. But he was still his father. He treated him with care and love, he knew that for certain.<p>

And he was ripped away from his life in such an instant. "Papa… I swear… I'll avenge you…"

Placing a bouquet of roses on the grave, Matthew stood up and walked away. He had a mission to do now.

When Matthew arrived into the bustling police station where all the men and women were running in and out, investigating different crimes and taking patrols. The system was in chaos right now and the vice-captain was doing his best to maintain the order but he wasn't fit to lead the entire force. Maybe for a few days but it had been weeks.

Matthew went to his station and sat down when Alfred came by, patting his hand on his back. "You okay man?"

"I'm fine Al… just fine…"

"Well if you need anything, tell me."

"There is actually," Matthew stated. "I need your help."

"What would that be?" he asked.

"I want to find the assassin that killed my father. But this is strictly personal."

"Matthew… are you sure about that? I mean… the guy's dangerous. He's probably killed hundreds of people. And I know you want to avenge your father but this is suicide."

"No it isn't Al," he snapped. "This guy needs to be brought to justice. My father's murder might be what started this desire for vengeance but think about it. If we get him, we can save more lives."

Alfred looked reluctant at his offer until he sighed. "You're my best friend Matthew. Of course I'll help you."

"Thanks. Now we need to try and find a link to this assassin."

Alfred nodded and jumped into his chair before he began to look through the stations data base, pulling up the old file. "Wait… this assassin… can he be the same one that killed the chief?"

"I think it is. The way he works is the same. The sadistic style of murder or clean kill matches it. But he must've faked his death when he killed the chief."

"This guy is good," Alfred murmured.

"He's manipulative. He knows how to get what he wants. But knowing this, we have to try and find a pattern in the murders. I know the time span of the murders doesn't matter. He's an assassin and kills when ordered to."

"Even with that Matthew, we don't have much on him. All we got is his finger print and that was given by an anonymous source. We don't even know if it's his."

"Running it in our data bases doesn't give us anything because he's never been entered in it. He's never been caught."

Alfred sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "We don't even have somewhere to start."

"Don't give up just yet Al. Let's pull up all the murders that match his style and see if we can find a pattern. Secrecy is a must for an assassin. So if he was ever threatened to be exposed, he would try and take out the one that would be able to expose him. But if it was something he didn't know he would have to go into hiding. We'll have to find that time frame when those kinds of murders stopped."

Alfred nodded and began to look over the deceased records of all reported to the police. "According to this, around three months ago, there was a month where the murders stopped. From there, there were two weeks that matched the murders including the death of the chief. But afterwards, there was another two week time span where there weren't any unusual deaths in the city. And right after the murders continued until now."

"Wait… I doubled checked your work and I think you missed one. There was a murder of someone at the academy where a person was killed using acid."

"But a suspect was found and arrested for the murder. We found his blood at the scene of the crime."

Matthew looked suspiciously at the case. "I'm not so sure… that case… it was too easy. Who would make a simple mistake like that and leave a cut at the crime scene. I think we should investigate the academy. Ask around and see if anything happened two weeks prior to that murder."

"If that's what you want. Let's go." Matthew nodded, grabbing the keys to the car and heading off.

Alfred wasn't going to get in Matthew's way. There was a raging aura about him that just warned him that he was going to do anything to find the assassin. It was one of the times that he was truly noticeable. Alfred only wished it was under better circumstances.

* * *

><p>The academy grounds were covered in the leaves of autumn as the red and orange painted the grounds in a collage of variation. Students were wearing thicker coats because of the colder weather but everyone continued their days without care. Matthew envied them. They were ignorant of the cruel world that surrounded them. Untouched by the cold truth that could tear away their happiness in a blink of an eye. But Matthew preferred it this way. The truth would always rise above the lies and the ignorance would prove to be a curse.<p>

Taking out a list of the students that were associated with Sean, the suspected murder so long ago, they were going to interview every single one of them until something caught their attention. Matthew and Alfred decided to split up; Matthew heading for the student's classes while Alfred got the population and adults.

Matthew went up to the classes and began to ask around, but making sure they were willing to help. He was able to meet a group of guys. Taking out a picture of the former suspect, he held it up for them to see. "Do you recognize this boy?"

"Yeah," one of them answered. "Sean. He got arrested a while ago, didn't he?"

"Yes… I'm here to ask about his character."

"His character? Well he was a bad guy, treated a lot of people with disrespect. Really only belonged here because of his parents' money. But none of us really think the guy would kill someone like that."

"So it was unexpected… Just a few more questions then."

"No problem," he smiled. "Always glad to help."

"Was there anything… different around three months ago?"

"Different how?"

"Any new students or transfers. Anyone different."

"Um… oh yeah. There was one student. He attracted a lot of attention when he first came. He was cool too but a bit intimidating."

Matthew looked up from his notepad, raising his eyebrow. "Who?"

"Xiang."

* * *

><p>Alfred sighed as he finished taking the statement of another teacher. They had all given him nothing useful in anyway. Just as he was heading toward another room, his phone rung and he looked at the message he received from Matthew.<p>

_Start asking questions about Xiang Gang Kirkland_

Alfred looked at the text questionably but shrugged and continued on his way. At least they got something. He went up to the first two girls he saw, flashing a bright smile to them. The two girls giggled at his advance and stopped.

"Can we help you officer?"

"Yes you can. Do you two know someone named Xiang?"

The girls began to squeal at the mention of his name, startling Alfred. "Of course we know Xiang. I think the entire female population here knows about him. He's the new exchange student that came a few months ago. He has a fan club you know?"

"I-Is that so…? Well what's he like?"

"We're not exactly sure ourselves. He's very… quiet in a way. But he's very handsome and he has that bad boy type of feel, you know? Dark, intimidating and did we mention gorgeous?"

"I see. Wait you guys have a fan club and you don't know what he's like?"

"It's like we said, he doesn't talk to anyone. Well except her I guess." The girls made a scowl and jealous expression as they thought about it.

"Who's her?"

"His girlfriend."

"So the guy has a girlfriend? Let me guess, the girl is like him? Tom boy, tough, scary?"

"Oh dear no. Mei is probably one of the most innocent girl's you could ever meet. I don't know how she got to him though… maybe because they're roommates."

"Who's Mei?"

"We don't know her personally but she's well liked by everyone. But honestly we're jealous that she gets to date him. Her full name is Mei Mei Wang if that helps."

"Hm… well that will be all ladies. Thank you for your help."

"No problem officer."

Alfred flashed a smile to them before waving and leaving. "I got to tell Matthew about this."

* * *

><p>"Well that was… informative I guess," Matthew murmured.<p>

"I can't believe the entire population of girls knows this guy but none of them know him personally."

"Just typical girls going after the most attractive thing they see. And it's also typical to see that they want what they can't have."

"Well out of all those girls, none of them told us anything about Mei Mei Wang."

"Maybe the school's data base will tell us something."

Alfred nodded and the two started to go toward the main office. Once they reached the space, Alfred went up to the receptionist, flashing his badge to her. "Hey there."

The receptionist smiled and gave the two her attention. "May I help you officers?"

"Yes, we were wondering if you could give us information on a Mei Mei Wang."

"Unfortunately, Ms. Wang hasn't shown up for classes in the past week. The week beforehand, the students were on a break."

"Is that so? Then is it possible to see her school records?"

"I'm sorry. Only parents or guardians may have access to that information. If you like however, we could give you a number to contact but that's all we can really provide you with."

"That would be fine. Please and thank you."

The receptionist nodded and began to look up the information. After a short minute, she wrote a number on a piece of paper and handed it to them. "Please take care now."

"We will." Alfred and Matthew turned away from the building and began to walk back to the car. "Well this is all we got."

"It wasn't a total lost," Matthew interjected. "We have our suspect. And based on the info I collected, his time there matches the murders. He's our likeliest target."

"Well let's head back to the station and find whatever we can on the girl. She's our only link to him."

Matthew took the chance to hop into the car along with Alfred. The two made a quick trip back to the station where they began their investigation. Alfred, being the computer expert, surprisingly, began to pull up all the information he could find on the girl.

What he found however, wasn't useful to them. The girl had an impressive record of honors and talent. She was really the perfect student and she volunteered in her free time if she could. "Wow… this girl is really impressive… and look at her picture Matthew."

"What about it?"

"She's cute. Such a shame that she's dating a killer."

"Will you get serious Al. You're probably ten years older than her. She's only eighteen for goodness sake."

"I'm just kidding Mattie," he laughed.

Matthew looked unamused. "Well did you find anything useful?"

"Nothing at all. From the receptionist story, she's been gone for a week now. You don't think that assassin kidnapped her or killed her do you?"

"She probably doesn't even know he's a killer. Anyway, we'll rescue her if it comes to that."

"Hm… a rescue mission. I haven't done one of those yet."

"Will you get serious Al. We're out to kill that guy. The girl comes second."

"Mattie… do you hear yourself? I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"It's a bad time for that Al. I told you that I'm going to kill him no matter what. If some people get hurt in the way, it's just another casualty of life."

"Mattie…"

"No Al," he interrupted. "If you're not going to help me, just give me her address and I'll go stake out the house myself."

"I said I was going to help you but there's a better way of doing this."

"Maybe but right now I don't care. Are you going to come with me?"

Alfred lowered his eyes. "I will."

"Good. Print out a picture of the suspect and the address of the girl's house. Time is of the essence."

* * *

><p>Matthew's eyes remained locked on the road in front of him as he drove toward Mei's home. Even though he was focused on getting to their destination, he thought it best if they got into different vehicles so he was alone to think for himself. Alfred was somewhere behind him, tailing him in a motorcycle. The picture he had of Xiang he made sure to burn into his eyes. He was his father's killer and he was going to avenge him.<p>

The moment Matthew reached the home, he made sure to park somewhere distant but he saw enough of the house. The black car from the other night was parked at the front of the house. Matthew was tempted to just get out of the car right now and go inspect the vehicle and house but he had to wait. Barging in like a madman would get him killed before he did anything else.

But as Matthew got a closer look, he saw a motorcycle parked on the side of the car. He was confused now. Why were there two vehicles? Before he could ponder the question any further, the front door opened and out came a petit girl with long brown hair. It was the girl from the picture, Mei.

She was carrying a box and putting it into the car.

This confused Matthew even more. "Was she being forced to do labor?" he thought. But from the look on her face, she wasn't being forced to do anything.

The conclusion he came to. She must've of developed Stockholm syndrome. It had to be that. But the girl was right there so he was going to get her out of there and avoid a potential victim. As he got out of the car, a second person came out of the house, concealed by the stack of boxes he was carrying.

Matthew raised an eyebrow as he walked closer but when the guy lowered the boxes into the car, he saw who it was. The assassin. Matthew froze as he stared at him. There was something different about him altogether.

There was a genuine smile on his face and a bright aura as he was next to Mei. There wasn't any sign of a killer in him. The girl seemed to brighten instantly when Xiang was with her. Matthew shook his head. It was impossible for them to fall in love with each other. It had to be.

Matthew knew Xiang was the assassin he was looking for. All the clues pointed toward him. And the car proved that he was there when his father was killed. All the evidence was overwhelming but there was still a sliver of doubt he felt.

But that instantly disappeared when he was reminded about his father's death. He was going to do it. Now.

Reaching into his coat for his gun, he began to walk closer and closer to the two. As he got closer, Xiang looked up to see who it was and he saw the intent to kill within Matthew's eyes. His instantly darkened, replacing that warm person he saw earlier with the one he wanted to see. The deadly assassin that killed his father.

Matthew took out his gun and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Xiang was faster however. He had already grabbed Mei, pulling her down to avoid the bullet that whizzed right above their heads. He could hear whispering from the two of them and Mei jumped into the car, locking the doors and starting the car as Xiang hoped onto his motorcycle and began to fire back at Matthew.

The Canadian dove to the ground, dodging the shots but during that time, they backed out of the driveway and onto the streets. The two of them drove off, separating at the corner of the street. Matthew wasn't going to lose him. As he ran to his car, he saw Alfred rush past him in his motorcycle, chasing after Xiang.

* * *

><p>Xiang was riding as fast as he could, trying to put some distance between him and Mei. He didn't know what was going on but someone was after him and he didn't want Mei to be in the crossfire. Making a sharp turn, Xiang tried to find somewhere more private to fight against his assailant. But as if he didn't know, there would be a fight regardless of his decisions.<p>

There seemed to be a second one and he was chasing after him at a high speed. And it was a police motorcycle. Xiang had thought the police lost track of him long ago and now they rose against him again. But Xiang knew for a fact that they didn't have any real evidence on him. And whoever the two were, they were probably rogues at this point for shooting only a suspect.

Even as Xiang accelerated to his full speed, the other was chasing him just as fast and he seemed to be making even more dangerous and sharp turns than Xiang. He was some kind of dare devil. Or just crazy. Either way, Xiang had to find a way to lose him.

Turning onto an empty street, Xiang pressed his break. The guy sped right past Xiang and he turned his head around in shock. The unexpected move was a complete surprise but Xiang didn't just turn around and leave. He began to accelerate once again and pulled up behind him. Whipping out his gun, he shot at the tires, popping the rubber.

The man began to spiral out of control as he tried to maintain his course. Xiang stopped and watched as the man tried to slow down, falling over on the vehicle and sliding into a screeching crash. Xiang didn't stay to see the body as he drove around and got ready to finish of the one who was really after him.

The man was in the police car and chasing after Xiang. Xiang knew the guy was going to follow him even more closely, now that his friend was gone. Xiang wasn't crazy enough to fight him with only a gun when he could just crash into Xiang if he wanted to. He needed a place to fight without worry.

Xiang began to speed up even more until he was well beyond the point of the city. He knew of a warehouse that was deserted and perfect to deal with whoever it was. Once he reached his destination, he parked in front of the place until another car pulled in. One different from the police car following him.

"Xiang!"

"Mei? I thought I told you to get away."

"I couldn't leave you alone to do this. They're policemen. They can't be doing this for any reason," she reasoned.

"Even if they are, Mei, one of them shot at us without any hesitation. He's dangerous. I know you want to help but for now, just hide. How did you find me anyway?"

"Your car has a tracking device to your motorcycle," she answered simply.

"You actually figured out how to use that thing?"

"Yep. I was afraid to touch anything else though."

"Smart. Anyway, hide. I'm going to confront him now. I will get answers."

Mei nodded, giving him a quick hug before she scampered off to hide. Xiang took a deep breath and pushed inside to the warehouse, turning on the lights and seeing the wide empty space. As he took a couple of more steps in, he could hear another entering the place and a gun being cocked.

"Turn around slowly," he commanded.

Xiang wasn't one to take orders. Xiang ducked just as the bullet was fired. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out his own and fired, shooting the gun out of the man's hand. "I suggest you listen to me now."

"Bastard…"

"I don't miss." Xiang held the gun up, aiming it at the man when the face began to resemble someone familiar. "Who are you?"

"Matthew Williams."

"Why are you chasing after me? You're a cop. The last thing you should've done was go against such a dangerous suspect alone."

"This is private. I didn't want anyone else to deal with you except me."

"Who was your friend then?"

"Alfred? What did you do to him!"

"He just had a little crash. But that isn't the point; I want to know why you're chasing after me."

"Francis Bonnefoy."

Xiang's eyes widened as he held his gun more cautiously. "How do you know him?"

"He was my father!" he yelled.

Xiang was taken aback. "Your father?"

"You killed him. And I'm here for revenge."

"I didn't know he had a son. No one did."

"I didn't know my father that well either but he didn't deserve to die. Not like that."

"It's just like you said. You don't know what he did. And he did deserve to die, especially like that. He's torn lives apart."

"And what makes you different! You kill mercilessly and multiple lives are affected by it. You're a hypocrite."

"The difference is I admit it. I don't lie. I was never untruthful to the one I love."

"How could a monster like you know what love is?" he growled.

"I admit I never did. Not until I met… her. I've changed. I don't regret killing most of those people though. The business I was in was dark. They deserved to die. Some may be more innocent than others but there were all the same in the end. But you… you aren't like them. I don't want to kill you."

"Well I want to kill you," he spat.

"Vengeance is never the answer you know. You aren't bound by your father's curse. You shouldn't have to suffer the darkness like him."

"And you know that because you've been through it? Well you should know how much I want to kill you then."

"I did and I do. But I got lucky because I have someone that can guide me back and be the one that confirms my existence. I'll say it one more time; I don't want to kill you."

"Well that isn't a choice."

Matthew charged Xiang with a battle cry as he raised his fists for combat. Xiang tucked the gun back into his coat and jumped back as Matthew began a barrage of punches toward Xiang. The assassin turned his body to the side and ducked with every attack, dodging every move and not wasting his energy to strike back. He didn't want to fight him and he was hoping he'd learn before the fight got out of hand.

He wasn't in a state to fight him anyway. His rage made all his moves extremely predictable; head on and wanting to finish him off ferociously. His eyes were also full of fury and it told Xiang all he needed to know to counter.

As the seconds ticked by, the Canadian was only getting more desperate as he added more moves to his attacks but they all had the same result of doing nothing. Xiang knew his rage wasn't going to burn out like that. Xiang needed to show him just how useless this endeavor was.

With the next set of punches, Xiang made a quicker move, parrying his arm and delivering a powerful jab into his stomach. The blow knocked Matthew back but Xiang wasn't done. Dashing off, he sent a kick into his side and knocked him off balance. With that Xiang began a series of fast punches and blows that had Matthew helpless. In a final strike, Xiang gave him an uppercut and sent the man flying onto the floor.

Matthew groaned his he tried to get back on his feet. After struggling to gain some footing, he rose back, panting heavily. Even though Matthew had size on Xiang, the boy was tougher and faster than him by a long shot. But Matthew wasn't planning on giving up.

Xiang sighed as he took a fighting stance. "I gave you a chance."

As Xiang began to charge him, the doors to the warehouse suddenly burst open as a motorcycle came roaring in. the Cantonese boy instantly stopped and jumped back as the bike rolled around and stopped right in front of Matthew.

The man was scratched up and the motorcycle in disarray. He removed his helmet, revealing the blond hair hidden underneath it. The man flashed a smile toward Matthew. "You needed a hero?"

"A-Al…?"

"You got pretty beaten up didn't you, Mattie?"

"He said you crashed…"

"Yeah I did. That was really crazy but I managed to get off of it before it did and even though it did crash, it wasn't too bad. Fixed it up and got here as soon as I could."

"How did you find us?"

"You know I'm good with electronics Mattie. I just had tracked you by your phone. Had to call in a few favors though."

Matthew stood up straight, shaking off the pain he felt. "Okay, enough with the sappy moment. We have a job to finish."

"Right…"

Alfred got off of his motorcycle, taking Matthew's side and shifting into a fighting stance.

Xiang stared at the two like they were mirror images of one another. But right now the two together looked very formidable. And Xiang knew Alfred would be fighting with a clear mind and combined with Matthew's current ferocity, he would have trouble.

Xiang didn't want to but he'd have to use real force now. He began to take out his gun but the American was fast as he rammed into Xiang. He barely had enough time to react or else he'd be flat on his back. But that was the least of Xiang's concern; the guy's strength was monstrous.

Xiang was able to jump to the side before another charge hit him but he forgot there was another person going after him. Just as he turned his face, it was met with a blinding punch that knocked him back. Xiang did a backwards flip, trying to gain some ground before the next assault but they were too much together.

Even without weapons Xiang would have a tough time facing against them. They took advantage of the time spans were one was open. Xiang focused his eyes and got into a fighting stance. He had to get serious now.

As Alfred came in for another tackle, Xiang leaped up, using Alfred's shoulders as a stepping stone and kicking Matthew across the head when he came in for the support. But as Xiang began to fall, Alfred changed course instantly and rammed into Xiang once again, sending him rolling onto the floor.

Staggering to get up, Xiang barely caught Matthew's fist but he didn't have enough balance to win against the sheer difference in body mass. Matthew put the rest of his strength into pushing Xiang back and made him spiral back into the wall.

Before Xiang could recover, Matthew charged him and in a blinding fury of punches began to assault him with various blows to his stomach, chest and face. Now that Xiang was feeling the blows first hand, he realized Matthew was nearly at the same level as Alfred. Trying to regain his stature, he caught one of the fists and crashed his knee into Matthew's stomach, sending him stumbling back.

Xiang lied against the cold stone wall, panting heavily. Even the slightest movement caused him pain. He knew he had to escape but he couldn't. Matthew stared over to Xiang as he began to recover from the blow he delivered and began to walk toward him, the rage in his violet eyes not dissipating in the least. As he walked, he reached down to pick up the gun they had knocked out of Xiang's hand before.

Alfred ran over and touched Matthew's shoulder. "Are you really sure you should do this? There's really no turning back if you do."

"I'm sure Alfred." Matthew threw Alfred's hand off his shoulder and continued to walk toward the helpless Xiang. Only a yard separated them and Matthew raised his gun and pointed it toward Xiang. "This is for my father."

"No!" Matthew turned his head and saw a girl run out from behind a pillar and to Xiang. She quickly covered his body with her own protectively. Matthew was surprised to see her here and even more so that she was protecting Xiang.

"M-Mei… I told you to hide." Xiang cringed from the pain.

Mei stood up and threw her arms out and hid Xiang behind her. "I won't let you kill him." Matthew stared at her. Her eyes were filled with determination but at the same time, they held fear.

"Get out of the way. He has to die."

"No matter how scared I am… I'm not moving from this spot!" she yelled.

"If you don't get out of my way, I'll move you." Matthew raised his gun and pointed at Mei. Even with the weapon pointed toward her, she didn't falter in the least. "I guess I'll have to move you."

Matthew's finger began to pull the trigger when a flash of red came out from behind Mei. Suddenly a hand found itself on Matthew's face, smashing his head straight into the ground. Matthew could hardly process what happened but he did recognize that it was Xiang who moved. Matthew could see Xiang's face through the opening in his hand but what he saw struck fear through his heart. Xiang's eyes were filled to the brim with a deadly and intense rage. It was completely different from what he saw when they were fighting before. He realized that Xiang really was holding back during the fight.

Xiang didn't give Matthew another chance to move as he raised his head and smashed it back into the ground. Matthew could barely stay conscious but he wasn't going to let Xiang do that again. The Canadian struggled out of Xiang's grip and rolled out of his reach. He sprang up and got into a fighting stance.

The sight he saw shocked him. Xiang stood hunched over, panting heavily. "D-don't you dare hurt her…" He then collapsed onto the ground, holding his hand to his mouth as he spat up blood. He could barely stand after the assault and he still moved to protect her.

"Xiang!" Mei ran over to him, holding him tenderly. "Don't strain yourself…"

Matthew stared at them; both had such a strong bond with one another. They would both give their life for the other, despite the restrictions that should've held them back.

Alfred placed his hand on Matthew's shoulder once again. "Matthew, you have to stop." Matthew turned to see his friend. "Do you see what this hate has done to you? You almost killed an innocent girl." Matthew eyes turned wide. Alfred was right.

"I'm a monster…"

"It's alright, you just have to stop. Look at them; if you killed Xiang, that girl would be consumed with the same rage that you have. It would create an endless chain of hate. You would drastically change her life if you did that. She would feel the same pain you do now. And if you killed someone like you are now, you would be a person filled with a longing emptiness. It wouldn't solve anything. I'm your friend and you're like my brother. Heck by now you should be my brother and I've stayed by your side to protect you. And I've stayed with you to try and make you understand."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I can't make you do anything. You have to do it yourself. But I can tell you that you must be the one to forgive. Even if it's for your family's pride, if you killed either of them, that pride would mean nothing. You'd throw it away just to satisfy this desire for blood."

Matthew collapsed to the floor as tears began to stream down his face. "What have I become? What has this vengeance done to me?"

Matthew was pulled into a tight hug, "It's alright now. Let's just go. Those two seem like they can take care of themselves." Matthew nodded slightly and got up with Alfred.

As they walked away, Alfred turned to see Xiang and Mei. He was glad he was able to stop Matthew because breaking such a strong bond like theirs would only cause a greater tragedy. And yet, he wished them the best of luck, because the world is a cruel place. And someone wrapped in darkness can only survive for so long but he knew that they had a better chance than anyone because they were each other's light.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own hetalia or the characters, just the plot and story<strong>

**A/n: Here's the result of the last chapter~ Matthew on a vendetta but luckily Alfred was there to knock some sense into him :) I hope that provided some closure to that really sad last chapter. Well now that that is done, prepare to see more of Ivan and his part in the story. It'll only be a glimpse but you'll see the extent of his organization. Aside from that, I don't want to give too much away. Until next time, thank you to my dear readers and reviewers. Only a few more chapters of Under the Light left so keep reading~**


	22. Chapter 22: Fatal Darkness

_Those sunk too deeply into the shadows of their sorrow and hate are cursed to walk to nothingness_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 22:**_

_**Fatal Darkness**_

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The meeting room was tense with the air of anxiousness. Kiku sat at his spot along with his guards by his side as he waited for the meeting to start. The guards were just protocol. The only thing Kiku needed by his side was the katana hanging on his hip. The blade rested quietly in wait, almost begging to be used but Kiku was hoping it wouldn't come to that.

The door suddenly opened as Kiku's men let him in. The tall Russian walked in with the widest smirk as his presence filled the room. Following him was his personal guard but no more than that. He was confident. And for whatever reason he was there, he was invited.

"Honda Kiku… to what do I owe this pleasure."

"You know why I've called you Braginski. I have a task for you and I know that you specialize in it."

"Hm… why don't you clarify that for me? I'm afraid I was too shocked to really remember."

Kiku scowled. He knew Ivan liked the satisfaction of hearing when he was superior in different aspects. "I need to you kill Xiang. Our former top assassin."

"Of course I can kill him. Before I was trying to keep from killing him myself and not get on your bad side," Ivan smiled. "But now that I have your permission, you can rest assured, that I have more than one way to crush his spirits."

"That's exactly why I've called you."

"You have good tastes then."

"It isn't about tastes. Now I'll be leaving then."

Just as Kiku began to get up, Ivan only smiled wider. "Not so fast, Kiku. I'm doing something for you. I need you to do something for me."

"You're not the type to want money. What do you want?"

"I've been hearing that your company has been developing a certain drug. And it apparently improves the physical abilities of a person two times their original values."

"How did you hear about that?"

"I have people. I want that information."

"Fine, I'll give send it to you. But you must turn up your end of the bargain before I give it."

"Very well. I'll be hearing from you soon then."

"Get it done," Kiku stated.

Ivan smiled, getting up from his own seat before leaving the room. As he walked outside where his ride was waiting for him, Natalia was following behind. "Do we call them now?"

"Da. They should be able to get it done. A warrior and a tracker. Perfect to take out that assassin."

* * *

><p>Mei sat worriedly next to Xiang's bed side as he was asleep. Somehow or another, the two men let them leave. Xiang however was beaten. Mei closed her eyes, knowing that he held back from killing the two. He took her words to heart and really wouldn't kill unless the people deserved it. And clearly he saw that they didn't.<p>

At first Arthur was worried that he had sustained serious injuries but Xiang only received a broken rib and a couple of bruises. Despite that, he would still have to rest.

Stepping into the room, Arthur made sure to stay quiet and not disturb Xiang. "May I speak with you, Mei?"

The girl nodded, leaning over and giving Xiang a gentle kiss before leaving the room. "What did you need to tell me?"

"It's about Xiang and you. I think you two should leave the city for a bit of time."

"What? Why?" she questioned.

"Because not only once or twice but this is the third time someone has come after Xiang. It's not safe for you two right now to be here. The first time sure Xiang handled it and the second was a massacre but now he's injured. If we get attacked again he'll be a liability."

"This is Xiang we're talking about. He's taken on worse situations."

"But these people are specialized to take him on, Mei. I'm just worried for you two. Please consider it. I can get a flight for both of you right away."

"I'll think about it then. And I know you're right Arthur but I want Xiang's opinion on this too."

Arthur nodded and walked back down the hallway. Mei sighed and entered the room once again but this time there was an open eyed Xiang staring back at her. "Hey there. What was that about?"

"You heard?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

"You know they say a kiss from a loved one can wake you up?"

Mei giggled and hugged him. "That's a fairy tale but I guess it works."

"Well…?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to tell me Arthur wants us to leave for a while because we're in danger?"

"You did hear."

"Finely tuned hearing," he smiled.

"Well what do you think?"

Xiang leaned back into his pillow. "I agree with Arthur. We need to leave for now."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'm not sure but it is the most agreeable choice. It's clear the Organization is gunning after me. But they seemed to ignore Arthur and Yao. If we leave, they could do a better search without us around and we'd be safer."

"That makes sense I suppose. I wonder where we'd even go."

"Hopefully some place warm and romantic."

* * *

><p>"I r-really h-hate Arthur right now…"<p>

Mei tightened her jacket and scarf as she and Xiang waited outside the airport. The entire area was blown over in a snow storm that was quickly turning into a blinding blizzard. Xiang looked over to his freezing love and pulled her into a tight hug, protecting her from the growing storm and sharing his body heat with her.

"I have to admit that this isn't… the ideal location," Xiang said. "But it is the least likely place they'd come looking for us."

"B-But why did we have to go to such a c-cold place?" she shivered.

"I have no idea but just bear with it for a bit, kay? And look on the bright side; I get to keep you this close to me for the entire time."

Mei blushed as she buried her face into his chest. "Right… let's just get to our hotel soon…"

Xiang nodded, holding her as close as possible as their ride came for them. Xiang let Mei into the warm car first before carrying their bags and placing them in the trunk. They only bought necessities with them and that excluded weaponry for a variety of reasons. They had to lay low and bringing enough fire power to destroy several buildings wasn't one of them.

Riding to the hotel was a short trip but both of them tried to look to the bright side. But the only thing they could see was having more private time with each other.

Once they reached the hotel, Mei immediately plopped onto the bed and went under the covers, shivering. Xiang chuckled as he sat down next to her. "It's not that cold."

"M-Maybe for you. I like warm weather… I'm not good with cold."

Xiang crawled under the covers with her, holding her close. "Better?"

"I'm going to have to keep you close for this entire trip," she murmured.

"I'm fine with that."

"You know… more body heat can be transferred if it's bare skin…" she said shyly.

Xiang leaned in, kissing her softly. "I know where you're getting to but let's rest first. And then we can play with each other," he smiled.

Mei blushed. "A-alright. Maybe we can just talk and watch TV?"

"We haven't had that in a while. It'd be nice."

"Then let's do it," she beamed.

"Alright but I'm going to get you warm and comfortable first."

Mei turned red as she clutched his shoulders but she wasn't going to complain.

* * *

><p>The plane went against the overwhelming blizzard in front of it. Inside the plane, a strange atmosphere of personalities clashed as one was lively and excited while the other was proper and silent. But even if they had different personalities, they had the same mission. To hunt down and kill a certain assassin.<p>

Both of the men had white silvery hair but that was the only similarity between them. The wild man, eager for battle had piercing red eyes and a smug smile on his lips. His signature iron cross flashed in the light as he shifted in his seat.

The other was much younger in comparison but his calm demeanor made him more mature than most. His violet eyes were dull and stoic as he persevered through his companion's annoyance. As they began to drive into the very depths of the storm, he grabbed his bag as a precaution and stared forward.

"Man, you need to relax or loosen up."

"You can be quieter, Beilschmidt."

"The names Gilbert, you know. You need to take this easier, Emil."

"This is a mission. You clearly haven't worked with Mr. Braginski for that long."

"I've been working for him as a spy and you know that. I'm just a full time worker for him now…"

"Because you abandoned your last boss and were scared for your life."

"Of course I was! I couldn't die there against that guy unprepared. And if I was killed there, it would bring a lot of problems."

"Just because you've justified your actions, doesn't make you any less of a coward."

"I could easily crush you if I wanted you know," he growled.

"Your threats don't really bother me. Maybe if you channeled some of that confidence and anger into actually fighting, then maybe we'll stand a chance against the assassin."

"He just caught me off last time, I'm ready now."

"Right, just get ready to focus. We'll need it in this snow storm. They'll be able to hide easily like this."

"They?" Gilbert asked.

"Didn't you read the mission report at all?"

"I skimmed…"

"That girl should be with him. Mr. Braginski wants us to torture her before we kill him."

"Yeah… I don't exactly like the idea of hurting a girl but I'll do it…"

"Whatever. Just be ready. We don't know what they can do so be ready for anything."

"I'm too awesome to be taken like that again," he snickered.

* * *

><p>The snow continued to fall as Xiang's breath turned white. The white flakes fell past him as he stared into the gray skies. There was a part of him that didn't believe that he was at this point. Being able to be with someone he cared about so much despite the dangers he presented.<p>

The wounds of his past still haven't completely healed and he knew they would never completely heal. They were a reminder to what he went through to get here.

"What are you doing out here?"

Xiang didn't turn around, recognizing his love's voice immediately. "Just thinking…"

Mei walked forward slightly, shivering from the cold. "About what?"

"Just… is it wrong to be afraid to love? Because of that we're in this situation."

Mei closed her eyes, walking forward and hugging him from behind. "It isn't…your past doesn't matter to me, you know that."

"But it does to me."

"It's okay to look at the past but don't let it define your life. If you cling to it like that, you turn your back on the true meaning our story."

"The true meaning?" he asked.

"To be loved by someone, by anyone. It makes life shine."

He smiled gently, leaning into her embrace. "Being with you melts away any doubts I have…"

"If it's me, I'll make sure your heart is warmed by undying love."

Shifting her hand slightly, she placed it on top of Xiang's heart, feeling that slow beating that she knew so well. But that emptiness he used to feel, he now felt whole with her by his side. He smiled lightly and looked back into the sky.

The light had finally cut through the darkness.

"Let's go back inside," Mei suggested. "As warm as you are, it's still freezing out here."

"Alright then— get down!"

Xiang quickly turned around, pulling Mei to the ground as a bullet whizzed by their heads. Mei's eyes boggled as the two landed into the snow but Xiang was still moving as he lifted her into his arms and made a dead run for the inside of the hotel. They made it in just as another bullet was fired behind them.

People inside began to scramble for safety, hearing the sound of gunfire explode outside. Xiang's head began to spin around, looking for some place to hide and at the same time trying to see who was shooting at them. Diving into the gift shop, Xiang panted, holding Mei close to his chest as looked through the glass window.

"What's going on?" Mei questioned. "Who's shooting?"

"I'm not sure… I thought we came here to avoid this… The Organization really doesn't like to fail."

"Why can't they leave us alone?" she asked rhetorically.

"Either way, we have to escape from here. There are too many civilians around."

"Right." Mei was glad Xiang was being more considerate of others. "And I'm coming along with you right?"

"I'm sorry but yes. I don't want to put you in danger but leaving you alone would be a huge risk. They probably know about you at this point and they won't hesitate to use you against me."

"Don't be sorry. Remember, I chose this and I'm not going to regret it."

"I'll make sure you don't have to."

As Xiang began to scout out the lounge of the hotel, Mei glanced around the shop, sneaking away anything that seemed useful but in her rush she didn't really know what use some of the items could prove but it was better than nothing. After Xiang gave the sign that they were clear to leave, the two got up and snuck out through the back.

Right now, if the assailants weren't after them, they probably would have disappeared but staying around was just asking to be killed. The two were close to the woods and that's probably where they were hidden but they needed to get further away from the people. The police would be called and questions would be asked and they weren't in a situation to do that.

Calling a taxi, Xiang and Mei rushed inside the vehicle and calmly told the driver where to go. Luckily he wasn't suspicious of what was going on and the two hoped it would stay that way.

Speaking in a hushed tone, Mei made sure the driver wouldn't overhear them. "Where are we going to go?"

"Into the woods," he whispered. "Away from others so we can have as much secrecy as possible. If those attackers found us in the city, untold amounts of damage could happen."

"Good plan but… do you have any ideas on how to fight against these guys?"

"Not a clue but I can use anything to my advantage."

"I'll do what I can for you too," she assured.

"Just being here with me and being safe is enough."

Mei smiled lightly at him as the car stopped. Xiang took Mei's hand and led her out of the car as they stared at an abandoned road that led into the forest. Shivering from not only the cold but the trail as well, Mei looked forward with a wary glance. Xiang tightened his hold on her hand, reassuring her that it would be fine; the two went into the forest.

The journey was a short one because within a few miles, a grand lake appeared before them. Judging from the appearance alone, the lake was frozen over with a thick layer of ice. The light from the sun began to dim, the shining ice becoming dull as gray clouds rolled in.

"We need to find shelter," Xiang stated.

Mei began to look around the lake for any signs of a house when at the corner of the lake she saw something. "What's that?" she pointed.

Xiang narrowed his eyes and a sign of relief splashed over him. "I think it's some kind of building. Not a big one though. It's better than nothing…"

"Let's hurry before it starts snowing too hard."

Xiang nodded and the tow began their way around the lake. The soft snowfall began to fall faster and heavier until it began to turn into a blizzard. The path in front of them was almost invisible until they finally reached the building.

He began to pound against the door, trying to get someone to answer. When one didn't appear, Xiang took out a small pin and picked the lock to the door and pushed inside. The two shuddered as the warm air embraced them.

"I hope they don't mind us being here," Xiang said.

Mei looked around and stopped. "Um… I don't think they are the problem."

"What do you mean?" Xiang asked, brushing the snow off his shoulders.

"Look," she pointed.

Xiang looked over and words couldn't describe his astonishment. The building was a small ice fishing dock. Only a few feet from them rested a pool of water where fish were pooled together emitted a raw odor that made Xiang's nose cringe. He quickly covered his nose as he looked around for any other room.

Mei followed his lead and spotted a door and grabbed his arm, guiding him to the other room. "I'm guessing you don't like the stink huh?" she teased.

"Not at all. No wonder there isn't anyone around. They must be in town and away from that smell."

"Isn't it cruel how they're treating the fish? If this wasn't an enclosed space, other animals could get at them easily."

"I would be more worried about us, Mei. That smell could attract bears or wolves here."

"Wouldn't bears be hibernating right now? But wolves are a concern."

"At least we can think more clearly here. For the time being…"

"You mean those hitmen? I'm not even sure what you would do in this situation."

"If I had a sword or gun I would fight them head on but we have nothing and they probably have huge fire power."

"Oh!" Mei exclaimed. "I grabbed a few things from the gift shop, maybe we can use them?"

"It's better than nothing I suppose. What do you have?"

Mei began to dig through her purse and pulled out various items. Some coins, water balloons, magnets and key chains. "Not a big haul…"

"I'm sorry! We were in a rush and I just grabbed stuff and left the money there."

Xiang chuckled, holding her close. "It's fine. You did what you could and anything is useful at this point."

Xiang pulled back slightly and began to look through the items Mei had. He needed to figure out how to use them. The coins seemed to be the only thing useful in the lot for distractions. As he began to pocket the coins, a change in the wind cause Xiang to turn around, startled.

"It's just the wind," she said.

"It's not that. I have the strangest sense that someone is around."

"How can you?" she inquired.

"I'm not sure… it's just a feeling."

Mei looked at him worried. She knew that Xiang had survived on his instincts on more than one occasion but she couldn't help but be nervous. She wanted to help him more and they needed another way to fight if anything.

She tried to think of anything that could help them. She looked down at the things she grabbed and a light bulb seemed to go off in her head. "Hey Xiang. Water freezes quickly in this sort of storm right?"

"I would expect so. Why do you ask?"

"I think we can use these water balloons then," she smiled.

* * *

><p>The harsh storm was relentless as it spiraled around the forest, covering the once green pines in a bed of snow. Marching through the storm was a lone individual. His goggles were tight against his face, preventing any of the ice from getting into his violet eyes. He went through the snow like it was a regular day, not slowed down in the least but faltered by the blinding white.<p>

"I can't believe that idiot got himself lost…" he muttered.

Ignoring the idea that he should actually look for his said partner, Emil continued his search for the assassin. He knew he and the girl went in the general direction. And considering the assassin didn't want the girl to freeze, they would have to find shelter. And before going into the blizzard, he made sure to look over a map of any residences in the area.

Crossing the bleak forest, the sound of something made him snap around and pull out his gun. He waited as a shadow ran around and passed him. Ignoring the piercing cold of the snow around him, Emil took aim just as the shadow darted at him. Without batting an eye, he shot and the figure instantly dropped to the ground.

Slowly walking over to the spreading red snow, Emil looked down and saw it was a wolf that he shot down. Taking his eyes away from the animal, he continued to look for any sign of the assassin and girl. He wasn't afraid of the threat of vicious animals because he could defend himself easily but the only thing that worried him was finding the two before his body started to respond to the binding cold.

In the distance, he could see the dim lighting of a building of sorts. He began to walk toward it without another second wasted. The chances that the assassin and girl were in there were high and he wasn't going to let them free. His orders were clear and his goal was within his grasps if they were there.

With a quick run, Emil charged the building and kicked the door open, the snow spiraling around him as he stepped into the building. His head began to dart around, trying to find any sign of the two targets. Not seeing any movement in the fish house, Emil began to move around, being cautious whenever he heard even the slightest sound and when he stepped into a different room.

As Emil began to open the door to another room, a clinging sound caught his attention and he turned around to find the source. He rushed over to the other side of the building where a pool of fish water rested. Examining the space, Emil found what caused the sound. A coin.

Before Emil realized it was intentional, something struck him in the side of his head. But he only flinched by reflexes as he realized that the side of his head was wet. He touched the side of his head and found the smell of the fish water stuck to him. When he turned around, he saw the door of the building wide open. He ran over to the entrance and found footprints leading out of the building.

He scowled and ran out of the building in a hurry, following what remained of the prints. The tracks he tailed ended without warning. He didn't have any idea how they disappeared. Without a trace, his target disappeared into the storm.

All at once, something cold and wet hit his side. He turned to the side where he was hit and before he knew it, another struck him in the back. This time he turned around, he saw a shadowy figure run around him but beyond his field of vision. But as he tried to follow the movements of the fire to shoot, another ball of water hit him from behind.

He cursed, trying to catch up with the assailant when he realized it. The both of them were striking him. He aimed his gun, knowing he had to take out at least one of them but his arm movement was slow for some reason. The terrifying realization struck him just as coldly as the balloons.

The water was freezing faster in the cold blizzard and his movements were being sealed.

It was too late for him to remedy the matter.

A barrage of balloons began to pellet him in rapid succession. He threw away the idea of aiming and began to fire without precision. He needed to try and hit them before it was too late. But all his bullets missed by a long shot as the figures moved at a blinding speed, circling around him as the water continued to hit his body, the water soaking through his clothes and down to his skin.

Along with the freezing layer of ice covering his body, his movements slowed, becoming stiff. His body became numb and soon enough, he could barely move let alone pull the trigger to his gun. He was stuck in place as the blizzard continued its deadly process of freezing him alive through the added help of the water.

The water didn't end until his skin became blue and the only thing he could move with any purpose was his eyes. The spheres in his head flickered around with panic, knowing he was bested with something as simple as balloons filled with water. It frustrated him as well but he was in no condition to lose himself in anger as he tried to move but to no avail.

Slowly, a figure began to walk toward him, followed by a shorter silhouette until they came within his sight. It was the assassin and the girl.

The assassin wordlessly began to remove the weapons that hung off of Emil's body. After a short moment, all his weapons were taken from him and he turned around without saying anything to him. Emil wanted to shout at him and even though his eyes were as cold as his body, he wanted to kill the teen more than anything. But at the same time, he wanted to know what drove him. What purpose did a cold assassin have for trying to live?

He suddenly stopped and in a voice low enough for him to hear, he spoke. "I don't care if you hate me for this. But you wouldn't understand why I would still continue to walk, do you? You've sold your soul to the darkness. Whoever you're working for, the Organization or if you have some kind of grudge against me, I don't care and I won't justify my actions by doing this to you. But you should know… before you die… that those who walk in the darkness will only find their place in nothing."

His words touched a corner of Emil's mind but they meant nothing to him. He didn't want to understand what he was saying and he wouldn't bother to listen to them. His purpose combined with his hate consumed him but frozen in place of his body.

He didn't bother to look back as he trotted away, the girl following behind him.

Emil glared at the two as they disappeared. He felt the heat from his body training ever so faster and he knew he would past out soon or suffer from hypothermia. He needed to try and move and get out of the cold. As he tried to will his body free of the frozen attachment, a low growl made his eyes widen.

He turned his eyes to the corner of his sockets and saw a pack of gray beasts closing in on him. Their yellow eyes flashing within the white snow store. He could see the fury in their eyes as if to take revenge on him but there was another thing within them. Hunger.

Emil then realized the water smelled like fish. It was over for him. Before he could even close his eyes, the wolves began their onslaught. And his screams didn't even leave his mouth as the blizzard continued to roar.

* * *

><p>Xiang sighed deeply as he leaned back against the wall. He dropped the weapons to the ground and removed his snow covered gloves. Mei walked over to him, stepping over the weapons and brushing the snow from his hair and coat before hugging him. Her embrace warmed his being as he held her in return, looking down lovingly at her.<p>

"You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he answered. "Just a bit cold."

"I'm right here to warm you up," she assured. "And I could use the warmth from you too."

"Thank you and I'm here for you too," he smiled. "Your idea was brilliant by the way. And your performance in the fight."

"No problem. But there is something that worries me. Didn't you say before there was more than one guy coming after us?"

"I would believe so. When we were at the hotel, I thought I saw multiple bullets being shot but from two different angles. There had to be another one."

"Then where is he or she?"

"It's most likely a 'he' but he might still be in the storm. If he isn't dead from the cold, then he'll come after us."

"But they were partners. Shouldn't they have been together?"

"Maybe they separated to cover more ground."

"Or maybe he got lost."

"That'd be hard to believe," he chuckled. "In any case, we should prepare to take him out if we see him once the storms over. And if we don't, we need to escape."

"Alright then. I just hope we don't have to keep running in order to be together…" she said sadly.

"I know…"

The two began to wait for the storm to dissipate, planning their strategy now that they had weapons at their disposal. However, Xiang wanted to avoid using them if he could. The more he used, the more sounds that would be made to attract animals toward them or others. At the same time, he was impressed with the amount of firepower his hunter had. There were a few explosives within the horde and he decided it'd be best to keep a few guns that could be hidden and the rest of the explosives because of the danger they presented. If he could, he would get rid of all of them right then and there but they were required just in case.

Within a few hours, the storm finally cleared but as Xiang and Mei looked outside, they saw that sunset was rapidly approaching. "We have to leave before it gets dark," Xiang said. "We won't survive out here all night."

"Let's bundle up and head out then."

Xiang nodded and threw the spare weapons into the water, knowing that it would be dragged out by the current. Taking the rest of the guns and bombs he kept, he pushed open the door and the cool breeze of the area blew at his face. Mei followed swiftly, shivering slightly from the cold but bearing it.

As their feet squashed the snow beneath them, the rapid sounds of running caught their attention. Xiang turned his head toward a hill and Mei got behind Xiang. The both of them waited as the sound became louder until a figure appeared on top of the hill. Among the white snow, his hair blended with its surroundings but his red eyes pierced through the colors.

He laughed out loud, his voice screaming over them. "Awesome is finally here! And his name is Gilbert!" He looked down at the two and held his smug smile. "Finally found you two."

Xiang quickly stood his ground as the man continued flaunting his vanity. Instead of waiting around for him to take action, Xiang removed a gun and pointed it at the man. He noticed the black weapon aimed at his head and he stared blankly at it.

"Shit…" he cursed.

Gilbert dived into the snow, taking evasive action as Xiang began to shoot at him. The man ran in a zigzag direction as the bullets followed him down the hill. He continued to run even when Xiang had to reload his gun but a second later the firing returned with just as much speed. Gilbert made a desperate run around the two and toward the lake, hoping to use the ice to slip away from the guns.

The moment he reached it, he slid onto the slippery surface and skated across. Using his hand to gain more friction, he came to a gradual stop as he stared at Xiang. Reaching into his belt, he removed the gun hooked onto it and aimed to fire. Xiang threw the weapon aside and removed a grenade from his coat. Gilbert's eyes widened as he recognized the thing instantly. Pulling the pin with his teeth, Xiang tossed the bomb toward Gilbert.

The man quickly tried to shoot it to make it explode or divert its direction but his shots missed. The bomb came crashing into the ice and rolling toward Gilbert. Before it erupted, Gilbert made a quick move, sliding across the ice and even further to the center of the lake just as the grenade exploded in a ball of fire. The ice cracked and split, creating a gaping hole within the lake.

Gilbert stared nervously at the hole as the ice further cracked toward him. As the cracks came to a startling stop, Gilbert let out a sigh of relief. But it was short lived as Xiang began to toss out the remainder of his explosives all one by one. His eyes spun around as the explosives surrounded him.

And within an instantaneous moment, the bombs ruptured and created a chain of fire that destroyed everything around it. A plume of ice and vapor covered in gray smoke layered the lake in a cloud of powder. Ice shards began to crash back into the water within seconds.

Xiang stared at the lake, waiting for the dust to clear. After a few minutes, the smoke cleared and the watery lake appeared. Landing at the corner of the lake, Xiang could see the shimmer iron cross that the man was wearing before. Xiang let out a sigh as he relaxed his shoulders.

"That was quicker than I expected…" Xiang said.

"Y-yeah… and a bit terrifying."

"It wasn't so much. Well from my side anyway. Let's go."

Mei nodded slightly, clinging to his arm as they walked off and back to town. Despite seeing the rush of the scene that happened moments before, Mei was slightly relieved that their two assailants were gone now. But she feared that more would come. And it was a fear that she knew was real.

* * *

><p>The waters began to calm now that the aftereffects of the explosion dissipated. The liquid occasionally crashed against other pieces of ice and the land in small waves. Suddenly, Gilbert's head popped out of the water as he panted for air. "Mein gott… that kid is crazy…"<p>

He began to swim to shore until he reached the cold piece of land. Climbing out of the water, he spotted his cross and placed it back on his person. "Faking my own death was a close call. But now that that's done and my report to Ivan was sent before, he can't bother me anymore. I can finally escape that mad man."

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the characters, just the story and plot<strong>

**A/n: Another update :D I know nothing extremely significant happened in the chapter besides Ivan being hired by Kiku and that will play out more very soon so expect Ivan's sadistic plans to unfold. The general theme of this was if you're too submerged into darkness, there's no turning back from it so caution. Other than that, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and expect another update soon enough :) Thank you to my dear readers and reviewers. Bye for now~**


	23. Chapter 23: Arrogant Artifice

_With overconfidence, people choose to guide their lives downward; with pride, they honor themselves but too much leads to conceit._

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 23:**_

_**Arrogant Artifice**_

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The silence of the room was shattered as Ivan slammed his fist into his desk. The glowing letter on his computer screen told him everything about the report. Pulling his hand back, he renewed his calmer form but his eyes held anger. His rage was because he had just learned that both of the men he sent were killed and not even the bodies could be found except for traces of blood. And the pictures he saw of the battle told him enough about what had happened.

Incompetent.

That was the only way Ivan could describe the two he sent. As far as he was concerned, they deserved to die for failing. It saved the trouble of him doing it himself if they returned without the news of the assassin's death. But it presented him with the problem of the assassin himself.

Ivan sighed as he leaned back into his chair. But his frown started to change into a smirk. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

From the shadows of Ivan's office, Natalia appeared. "Shall I prepare the trap then?"

"Da. But in the mean time, it'd be better to collect some bait to capture what we want."

"I'll send out the spies then."

"Do it. But I want you to go with them Natalia. Make sure to bring back something useful or don't come back at all."

She nodded and disappeared once again. Ivan smiled as he poured himself a glass of vodka. "The game is about to begin."

* * *

><p>Arthur shut his phone with a sigh, leaning back into his chair. "What's wrong?" asked Yao, bringing a cup of tea over. "You look like something just gave you a dose of stress ~aru."<p>

"Xiang and Mei were attacked."

Yao was shocked and quickly sat down on the arm rest and wanted to know more. "What happened? ~aru"

"Apparently two assailants were sent to kill them. But as always Xiang took care of the situation. They said they're going to be coming back later tonight or possibly tomorrow."

"Why not sooner? ~aru"

"Xiang wants to make sure they aren't followed and it'd be safer because now that two people are dead, the police would be watching for anyone suspicious trying to leave the place."

"I hope they'll be alright… ~aru"

"I'm sure they will be," Arthur assured. Pulling the Chinese man into his arms, he caressed his arm soothingly. "You should relax a bit. You've been cooking and cleaning nonstop all day."

"Perhaps ~aru," he said quietly. "I just can't stand still."

"Well have you thought about the moving idea?"

"I have… ~aru"

"And? What's your decision?" he asked.

"I'll go. ~aru"

Arthur didn't seem surprised by the decision but he was pleased regardless. "You thought over it a lot, didn't you?"

"I did. And I think I should take care of some business as well before we leave. ~aru"

"What would that be? You know you'll have to be careful going out."

"I have to tell my restaurant and leave it in charge for someone else. My workers must be worried about my disappearance. ~aru"

"I sent your restaurant manager a message saying that you needed a vacation. But it would be a good idea to see them."

"Then I can go? ~aru"

"Of course you can go! I'm going to come with you though. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"If you insist," he smiled. "The news to my workers might surprise them ~aru."

"You leaving or us?" he grinned.

Yao blushed and turned away. "B-both… ~aru"

"Well I don't think the leaving part is going to make them happy for you. And remember, keep the information low. We can't let anyone else know."

After Yao agreed to the terms, the two departed the mansion quietly, leaving a note for Xiang and Mei if they returned sooner than expected. The drive was a short one but it only went by as quickly since Yao decided to listen to his Chinese music. Arthur didn't mind the foreign music but he wished he understood what Yao was singing along to.

Arthur took a moment to park and Yao took a deep breath as he began to walk up to his restaurant. The Chinese man looked nervously at the backdoor, dreading the news he had to tell his employees. Arthur placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and Yao nodded before stepping in.

The kitchen was bustling with cooks and waiters doing their jobs. The fire from the stoves roared as the deep smell of freshly made food permeated the air. One of the cooks looked up from his pan and his eyes widened to see Yao standing in the doorway.

"Ni hao everyone."

The entire kitchen came to a startling halt as they all rushed to see Yao, surrounding the man and throwing greetings and questions at him. But it seemed the most asked question was "Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry I haven't been in touch ~aru. But things have come up."

The manager pushed his way through the crowd of employees to face Yao. "Yao, we'd like to know more if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all ~aru. But first thing I have to do is introduce Arthur here." Yao directed everyone's attention to the British man.

Arthur smiled at them nervously, waving at them. "Hello everyone. Pleasure to meet you all."

The staff bowed, making Arthur feel even more awkward around them. "As you were saying, Yao?"

"Right, well… Arthur is my boyfriend ~aru," he announced, blushing. A wave of congratulations approached Yao, increasing the redness of the flustered Asian. But after the kudos were presented, Yao got back to business and became more serious as his expression deepened. "Everyone, I'm leaving the restaurant."

The entire room became silent with shock. None of the employees thought they heard Yao right but they knew from the look on his face that he was serious. "W-why?"

"I can't tell you. But I can tell you that it's about my sister. ~aru"

"What does this have to do with Mei?"

"Just trust me when I say I can't tell you ~aru. But I have to go with her, she's my sister."

The staff all looked at each other, whispering in hushed tones until they all looked back at Yao. "We wish you the best on your journey then. But what's going to happen to the restaurant?"

"I'm going to leave it to the next head chef and manager. You have both performed splendidly in the business and I trust you two with my restaurant ~aru."

The two looked shocked to receive such a gift and promotion. "We are honored."

"I trust you two ~aru. Please take good care of the customers and the building."

"We will. And if you ever return, we would be happy to give it back to you or welcome you as a prized customer."

Yao took the time to give everyone a farewell hug. He had to keep himself from bursting into tears. Arthur smiled warily to them all but once the hugs were done; the staff had to return their attention back to the restaurant. Looking over to Yao, Arthur could see how much he wanted to stay with them.

"You know, we're not in any hurry. Why don't you help them?"

Yao's eyes sparkled as he glanced at Arthur. Giving him a quick peck to the cheek, he ran off to the kitchen and began his work. Arthur touched his cheek, smiling softly as he watched him do his cooking. The staff seemed overjoyed to be able to work with him one last time and Arthur was glad he could give him that chance. It was always good to have some kind of closure.

The day was busy with customers filling the restaurant completely. It seemed they all knew that Yao wouldn't be there anymore and wanted his last meal. Either way, the kitchen was chaotic but within the hysteria, Yao was still smiling happily, thriving on the rush of his kitchen. And as the day came to a slow end, Yao was sad to clean up.

He moved slowly, wanting to cherish the last few moments he had with his restaurant and staff. When the cleaning was done, the staff circled around Yao once more but this time they handed over the wok that Yao was using all day. Yao took it carefully and smiled at them, thanking them for his favorite wok. It was a memento to remind him of the place and that he would always have a place with them if he were to return.

Giving their final farewells, Arthur and Yao departed from the restaurant and into the parking lot. "Well I hope you had a good day."

"Fantastic ~aru. I'm glad I could spend the day with them."

As they approached the car, Yao was smoothing his hand over the cool cast iron, appreciated the craftsmanship. Just when they reached the vehicle, the head lights of several cars blinded them and surrounded them. Arthur instantly reached for the gun inside his coat, realizing the situation that they were in. Yao froze in shock in comparison, he didn't know what was going on besides the danger that he sensed.

Men began to exit out of the car and they were all carrying heavy weaponry. Arthur tried to look into their faces to see their intention but their blank stares were covered by black sunglasses. As they waited, Arthur wondered why they didn't shoot yet and that's when he figured, the weapons were just to threaten them. They were trying to capture them.

A woman stepped out of the car and her presence wasn't anything like the other men. Hers was pure malevolence that made Arthur cringe. She wasn't one that wanted to fail and Arthur was sure she would go as far to leave them nearly dead and then capture them.

Arthur's hand started to shake as he stared down the woman as the silence only increased the tension. Yao was the one to break it. "What do you want, Natalia? ~aru"

"So you remember me… If you come quietly with us, we can avoid spilling needless blood," she answered.

"Do we even have a choice?" Arthur muttered.

"If you don't come with us, then we will take you. You can save yourselves the trouble and time if you just agree to our terms."

"Leave us alone," Arthur demanded. Arthur finally recognized the girl talking to them. She was one of Ivan's elite.

"Looks like it'll be the hard way. It can't be helped."

One of the men moved forward and began to fire at the two. Arthur dived to the ground to dodge the bullets but he forgot about Yao. As he turned his head around to see him, he was surprised to see Yao blocking the barrage with the wok.

The dense metal provided a strong shield against the assault. Arthur was impressed by it but Yao was taking it further as he took the offensive. Brushing past the line of bullets, he came within fighting distance of the man firing and rammed into him with the wok forward, knocking the man off balance. In a swift motion, Yao lifted the wok over his head and smashed into the man's skull. The man collapsed to the floor without a word as Yao continued his assault.

Arthur shook his head as he dived into the fight as well. The men started to take defensive action and shot without restraint. Arthur was sly in his actions as he slipped past the bullets but there were far too many close calls as the shots barely missed him. Taking aim, he shot the men with his pistol, finishing them with one shot to the head as he used the car as cover.

The men continued to fall one by one as Yao gracefully danced around and at one point, dropping his wok so he could move faster. His strength didn't falter in the slightest as his speed increased he smashed his fists into the men. Arthur was surprised by Yao's techniques as his movements flowed along with dodging and offensive.

Yao jumped back and pressed his back against Arthur's as they covered each other's blind spots. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked.

"I'm not as brittle as I look. Someone had to teach Mei martial arts and you're looking at a master ~aru."

"That's impressive," Arthur complimented.

"Thank you ~aru."

All the men started to back up, puzzling Yao and Arthur. But their surprise was short lived as Natalia stepped forward. The young woman's eyes were covered by her platinum blond hair, keeping Arthur and Yao from knowing her intentions. Slowly as she lifted her head, her dark blue eyes pierced their defenses, temporarily freezing them in terror.

Without another moment's rest, Natalia charged forward at a terrifying speed as a calm bloodlust filled her eyes. Despite Arthur's warning, Yao dashed toward the girl and engaged her in hand-to-hand combat. At first the two seemed evenly matched as they exchanged blows which were dodged or blocked. Soon enough the tide of battle changed as Natalia slipped out knives from her sleeves.

Yao was pushed back immediately as he tried to dodge the sharp steel from slicing him. Arthur took out his gun and tried to aim for Natalia but their movements were too fast for him to follow. He was afraid of hitting Yao and wouldn't take the chance to shoot unless he was certain. As the battle continued, Yao began to receive gashes from the blades and Arthur cursed under his breath. At times like these he wished he had Xiang's keen skills but he didn't.

The Chinese man struggled to avoid being fatally wounded but Natalia was aiming to kill with each blow despite having to capture them alive. Yao glanced behind to see Arthur pointing his gun and knew he had to give him the chance to fire. Focusing his eyes, he watched for the right moment. As Natalia threw her arm forward with the knife pointed straight. Yao quickly ducked under the arm and used a palm thrust toward the girl's stomach, knocking her back a few feet.

It wasn't much but it was enough for Arthur to have a clear hit now. He pulled the trigger and the bullet was fired.

But to Arthur's horror, Natalia raised her blade and knocked the bullet away. Her eyes narrowed as she removed a dozen more knives from her person. Just as quickly as his gun, she threw the knives with precision toward the two, hitting them in their shoulders and legs. Yao and Arthur were knocked to the floor and before they could resist further, Natalia charged them at full speed and took out two syringes and quickly injected them into the two.

Their vision started to become hazy and their bodies' numbness followed shortly after. Arthur struggled to aim his gun at the girl but his eyes became heavier and heavier until he dropped his arm. His last thought before the darkness overcame him was a hope that Xiang and Mei would be safe.

* * *

><p>Mei sighed deeply as she and Xiang returned back to town. The night was relatively young as the cool air embraced her, making her shiver slightly. She was glad to be back but she wondered if she and Xiang would ever be able to live in peace together. It seemed that no matter where they went, the Organization would find them. Even though Xiang was able to protect her and himself, she was worried and dreaded the day when he wouldn't be able to. She prayed it would never come to that.<p>

As they stepped into Xiang's home, the silence was unnerving. "I wonder where Yao-ge and Arthur are," she said aloud.

"Maybe they're in the garden. They seemed to taken a liking to it."

"Maybe. That was a long plane ride."

"You should rest then." Xiang lowered their luggage and walked over to her, pulling her close. "You seem stressed lately."

"I can't help it, Xiang. I'm worried about all of this. I can't rest easy knowing that we could be attacked at any moment. There has to be an end to this."

"I know… and I know I can't reassure you that this isn't dangerous but I have promised to protect you. And I don't intend to break that promise."

"I knew from the moment we got together that this would be dangerous, Xiang. It's not like I didn't expect this but I want to know when this can end."

"Hopefully soon. Hopefully."

Mei smiled slightly, kissing his cheek before she walked off to the kitchen. Brushing her hand against the smooth surface of the granite, Mei decided to have a small snack before going to bed. As she began to cut up some pieces of fruit, one of the butlers walked into the kitchen with cleaning supplies.

"Oh, greetings madam. You and the master came home early."

"You know you don't have to be so formal with me."

"I insist madam."

Mei smiled sheepishly, "Alright then. And per chance have you seen Yao-ge or Arthur?"

"I believe they went out at noon and I received only this note to give to you."

The man removed a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Mei. The girl quickly opened it up and read. She found that they were going to the restaurant since Yao wanted to say his goodbyes to the staff. It was just like him she thought. But something else worried her. Why weren't they back yet?

Mei took out her phone and dialed Yao's number, hoping that he wasn't busy enough to answer. After a short wait, the rings stopped but it wasn't who she was expecting to answer.

"Mei Mei Wang. Come to the outskirts of the city. Alone or you'll never see your brother again. And tell no one about this."

Mei's eyes widened at the foreign voice. "Who is this! What did you do with Yao-ge!"

"Alone. The outskirts."

Before Mei could ask any more questions, they hung up. Mei stared at the phone wordlessly, trying to process what was happening. "What's going on?"

Mei turned around and saw Xiang with a worried expression on his face, standing in the doorway. Mei looked hesitantly at her phone before looking back at him. "I can't tell you…"

Xiang gave her a hard stare and saw how much it hurt her to say that. "Whatever it is, I'm not letting you go alone."

"You can't Xiang… I have to go alone…" Mei was conflicted. She knew she was walking right into their plan but if she didn't listen to them, and then there was no telling what would happen to her brother.

"It's one of those situations then… fine but please, don't hesitate to call me, warn me or run. And I'm going to give you a weapon and tracking device."

Mei closed her eyes, clutching her phone tightly. "They have Yao-ge, Xiang… that's my reason."

"I understand, Mei. You didn't have to tell me anything."

Mei looked at him with uncertainty in her eyes but a glimmer appeared as well. "I'm glad I have you."

Walking over to him, Xiang have a comforting hug but he held her tighter than usual. Not wanting to let her go forth into that danger. But he knew the circumstances and all he could do was support her.

The both of them went to the third floor of the house and Xiang began to go through his equipment at a quick pace. Whoever it was that called Mei would be expecting her to arrive there soon and he didn't want them to become suspicious. Xiang took out a leather jacket for her and began to equip her with enough to remain thin and non-conspicuous.

When Xiang was done, Mei was wearing leather shorts and a jacket with tall boots. If it was more of a stealth mission, it would be different but she had to be prepared to fight or be hurt. Mei was given two knives and they were concealed within her boots and he gave her a pistol and an automatic rifle. Despite the new appearance and gear, Mei wasn't overwhelmed; rather she seemed to only get even more serious.

"Okay, that's all I can do for you right now."

Mei took a moment to look over her new outfit before she gave a thankful smile to him. "Thanks Xiang. I wonder what would happen if you had more time though."

"Let's not hope for that. Now I placed a tracker in your flower pin and I gave you an ear piece so I'll be listening and giving you advice too. I'm sure you know how to use the weapons right?"

"I think so. You gave me a crash course in using these a while back but I never thought I'd actually have to use that training." Mei took a deep breath and began to go out. "I'll see you later."

"Let's hope so. I'll be watching and listening for the entire time, okay?"

She nodded and quickly left the house. Taking the keys to the car, she jumped inside and pulled out and onto the road. She locked the locations to the meeting spot into the car and drove even faster. Her hands were tightly clasped onto the steering wheel, feeling her nervousness creeping over her entire being. Mei knew she would have to be calm for whatever she was going to face but this was the first time she was going out alone and without Xiang by her side.

But she had to do this.

After a few minutes, she began to approach the meeting location in the outskirts of the city. She looked around for any sign of the person she was supposed to meet with and saw a lone car parked in an empty space of dirt. Slowly, Mei pulled onto the side of the road and stepped out of the car cautiously.

"I'm here, Xiang," she whispered.

"Be careful."

Her eyes began to scan the area they were in, looking for anything out of the ordinary. As she walked into a wider clearing, the car opened and a quartet of men got out of the car. They stood sternly and holding rifles next to their person. As the men stood side by side along the car, another person got out and Mei knew who it was.

Natalia.

"Where's Yao-ge?" Mei demanded.

"We'll get to that later. If you want to see him, come with us."

"Fat chance. Tell me where he is."

"He's with the Englishman."

Mei assumed that Arthur was with Yao but hearing it from the source was more of a shocker. "You know that's not what I meant."

"What are you going to do about it?" she sneered. "Are you going to go crying to your little boyfriend? That's probably what you're only good for."

Mei knew the girl was trying to provoke her and it wasn't going to work. She didn't need Xiang getting involved more than he already did. "I was able to take you back then and I can do it again."

"You were being pushed back. If it wasn't for him, you'd be dead."

"Why don't you come out from behind your goons and fight then? And if I win, I want Yao-ge and Arthur back."

"Interesting. But I don't have to make deals with the likes of you."

"If you're so confident then why not? Unless you're afraid."

"I am afraid of nothing." Natalia signaled the men to stand back and Mei smirked slightly knowing that she accepted.

But this wasn't the time to being smiling. Mei knew how dangerous Natalia was and the seemingly endless supply of knives that she kept concealed was no joke. The girl was extremely versatile with the blades. Mei took a fighting stance as Natalia whipped out a pair of knives from her sleeves.

In a fury of speed, Natalia dashed off to Mei. The Taiwanese girl knew that close combat was dangerous when it came to fighting her and quickly took out the pistol from her coat and fired. Natalia dodged and smacked the bullet out from the air with ease and continued her charge toward her target. Mei cursed and began to run around, trying to gain some distance from Natalia and continued to shoot, hoping to be able to get a bullet past her. The gun was almost useless as she continued to block each and every bullet that came past her.

After her ammunition was exhausted, Mei had no choice but to fight hand to hand. She still had the other rifle Xiang gave to her but she needed to save it for a better moment. And she was unsure if Natalia would be able to repeat what she just did with her pistol. Taking out one of the knives she had in her boot, she ran toward Natalia at full speed. If Mei couldn't beat her by a long range battle then it would have to be close handed.

The blades clashed as sparks flew from the steel. In a blinding fury of slashes, each blade was met with the other as Mei and Natalia continued their battle. During the fight, Mei tried to find any kind of opening that would give her a chance to strike Natalia but the girl was faster than she expected.

Natalia attacked Mei at a relentless pace, keeping her on the defensive as she continued to ware her down. In a single instant however, Mei saw the slightest opening in the flow of attacks. Despite the frenzy of attacks, there was a pattern Mei saw and there was a weakness in that pattern. Mei continued to defend herself, waiting for that moment to strike.

When it appeared, Mei lunged forward with her blade and slashed Natalia across her shoulder. The girl jumped back in response, her eyes flaring with anger at being injured. Mei wasn't about to let her escape and began her offensive.

With the new injury, Natalia moved slower and the right side of her body was slower than before with the blood dripping down her arm. Mei had the advantage now as she attacked and pushed Natalia back. The girl seemed to realize the situation change and quickly jumped back, gaining a considerable distance from Mei.

She removed more knives and held them between her fingers. Natalia began to throw the knives with precision towards Mei. The Taiwanese girl barely had enough time to react and knock the blades from the air before they reached her body. But the stream of steel continued and Mei wanted to avoid being stung by their points.

However, a misstep cost her. The back of her foot struck a rock when she backed up and the slightest moment of change allowed one of the knives to hit her directly in her shoulder. Mei gasped at the sudden burst of pain and fell back onto the ground, quickly removing the blade and trying to stop the bleeding. As she lay tending to her wound, Natalia walked up to Mei with a deadly frown upon her face.

Before she could do anymore, Mei took out the automatic rifle Xiang gave her and began to fire. Natalia quick side stepped to dodge the barrage of bullets but she wasn't aiming for her. Mei turned her attention to the other men and shot them all down in surprise and destroyed the car. The surprise attack caught all of them off guard, allowing Mei to easily pick them off before she ran out of bullets.

Mei discarded the weapon and stared up into the night sky, hearing Natalia move closer to her. She knew that even if she defeated Natalia, the men would have captured her in the first place. But at least she was able to do some damage before her defeat.

"I'm sorry, Xiang…" she murmured.

As Natalia neared her, Mei closed her eyes and awaited her fate. She only hoped that they would survive to live another day.

* * *

><p>Fear began to overwhelm Xiang as Mei grew silent. The silence was broken as Xiang heard her screams. He smashed his fists into the desk in front of him, feeling how helpless he was right now. Mei's screams struck deep inside his soul, engorging him in terror. Soon enough, the cries ended but that only frightened Xiang more.<p>

He looked up to his computer screen and saw the tracker he placed in the hair pin begin to move. He prayed Mei was still alive as he geared up to follow. They weren't going to take her away from him again.

Now that Xiang knew who he was up against, he had to be prepared for anything. After all, Ivan was unpredictable in every aspect. But he did expect what Ivan would do. He was a sick minded individual that loved torturing his victims. He knew he was going to use Mei against him if he could. He had to expect a hostage situation.

He took the usual gear with him and a few more devices that could prove to be useful. Xiang rushed out of the house and took his motorcycle since Mei had the car. Locking onto her coordinates, Xiang began to ride toward it. Ignoring the route she was going at, Xiang took as many detours as he could, trying to lessen the distance between them until he was stuck on a straight path toward the opposite side of the city.

As much as Xiang accelerated, Mei seemed no closer than before. After a few more minutes, they finally stopped and Xiang was closing in. As he came within distance, Xiang saw a huge complex growing bigger as he grew closer. The concrete building was tall but it was incredibly plain. Only a few windows seemed to be placed on the thing but that wasn't the only thing. It seemed as though it should still be under construction.

Xiang slowly pulled into the empty lot and looked around. No cameras. No guards. It screamed trap.

Looking at his tracker, it confirmed that this was the place and he had no other choice but to go in. Despite the lack of security, Xiang was cautious as he entered the building, taking care to watch for any sign of something different or dangerous. But if this was Ivan, the danger wouldn't come until after he saw Mei and the others.

To his surprise, the above structure was just for show. At the center of the building was a pathway of stairs leading down to the sublevels. The pathway was narrow enough only for only two people to be able to move through so he didn't have to expect any traps. The only thing that worried him was what was lying at the lower levels.

As he continued to move downward, the communicator he gave Mei started to give off sounds once again. He was within range but what he heard disturbed him, the sounds of mechanisms grinding and turning at a screeching pace. Xiang quickened his pace as he ran down the stairs until a bright light lit the bottom.

He stepped through the doorway and his eyes widened to the scene in front of him. A long pathway that led to the other side of the room was before him but the narrow path was fit for only one person. Lying on the sides of the path were deep pits filled to the brim with spikes. Aside from the deadly décor, hanging from the ceiling were the people he wanted to save.

Mei hung at the center of the room, her arms lifted over her head and tied together by giant chain. But upon closer inspection, he saw that the chain were two chains intertwined with one another and at some point it split to lead left and right. And on those separate sides were Arthur and Yao. The chains were kept in place by two deadly looking pulling systems that lowered down to capture both Arthur and Yao's arms as they dangled in place over the pit.

Slow clapping returned Xiang to his mind and his head snapped around to the sound. On the side of the room sat Ivan with two women by his side. One he was familiar with; Natalia. The other he wasn't. The woman seemed to be of average height and had a bright smile that didn't seem fit for the kind of work this involved. But the smile was only light and it was her soft green eyes that told Xiang what he needed to know. The job was unnerving but she was strong enough to withstand it.

"So we meet again, assassin. Or should I call you Xiang?" he snickered.

"What kind of sick plot do you have this time, Braginksi?"

"Nothing. I'm giving you a choice this time. You can save one of them."

Xiang intensified his glare toward him. "One?"

"Exactly. If you save your little girlfriend, the other two will fall to their deaths. And if you save Arthur or Yao then the girl will be dragged into the pulley system and crushed to death while the one you didn't save falls to the pit."

Xiang was horrified at the situation Ivan created. The ultimatum made it so he could only save one of the people he cared about. Ivan knew that it was likely he'd save Mei and Xiang knew it too. He cared about her more than the other two but he didn't want them to die either. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he did.

But the plan was far too easy, considering it was Ivan. There was no way he'd let Xiang get away so easily even if he did go with the insidious plan. He had to expect that there was some kind of trap set out for whoever he picked or just for him.

"And just to let you know, I've set a timer on the pulleys. You'll have five minutes to save whoever you want before they activate and start to lower the two men. And that will literally rip the girl in half and when it does, the other two will fall regardless. You better choose quickly."

Xiang wanted to kill the maniac right then and there but with Natalia at his side, it would waste far too much time. And he had to save the three before it was too late. As he ran forward, he tried to find a way to save them all. But nothing he had with him was enough to stop the pulleys and time was leaking away.

Ivan began to laugh wildly as he and Natalia left the room. Before he did, he whispered to the other girl, "Make sure to take care of him while he makes his decision."

The girl nodded and Ivan disappeared through the stairway. The woman turned to Xiang and gave him a hard stare but he didn't have time to deal with her. He needed to do something. Anything.

He tried to focus and he knew time was being wasted with each thought he tried to think of. Xiang opened his eyes just as the pulleys began to turn. Mei's eyes opened and she began to struggle as her arms were being dragged upward. Xiang's eyes widened as she began to scream in pain and terror. There wasn't any time left.

"X-Xiang! Save Mei ~aru," yelled Yao. "Don't worry about us."

The sound of a gun being loaded caught his attention and he turned around just as the woman began to shoot at him. Xiang rolled out of the way and charged the woman, dodging the ray of bullets at the same time. His eyes were focused as his legs were intent on speed because he only had a minute at most before it was too late.

Xiang came in close with the woman and quickly disarmed her by knocking the gun into the air and throwing a fist into her stomach. The girl passed out and Xiang held her up with one arm as he pulled out a rope from his bag and began to tie her up. Mei's screams only urged him to go faster and once he was sure the knots were tight, he quickly locked in his grappling hook and aimed it at one of the pulleys. Without wasting any more time, Xiang shot at it and the hook immediately was lodged into the system.

Xiang ran toward the hook that was coming on the other side of the wheel and grabbed onto it, pulling the girl toward the death trap even more quickly. As the rope grew longer on Xiang's side, he swung back and toward the chains that held Mei. Unsheathing his blade, he swung toward the chains and slashed the metal into pieces. Mei collapsed to the concrete below her and Yao began to fall. Just as the same thing began to happen to Arthur, the girl Xiang tied rammed into the pulley and blocked it with the bloodied body.

Xiang continued his swing and quickly grabbed onto Yao's hand and pulled him back onto solid ground before he lowered himself. He turned his attention to Arthur and jumped off the path and onto the chain holding the Brit. Like before, he swung along with the chain and felt the chain quickly being rolled out by the wheel. Xiang lowered himself quickly and released Arthur while grabbing onto his arm and throwing him onto the solid stone. He landed with a grunt and Xiang was glad he was still alive.

Xiang realized he was running out of chain and swung toward the wall in an arc. In a blinding flash of speed, Xiang began to run across the wall just as the chain ran out. He was high enough on the wall as gravity began to pull him toward the ground. Instead of relenting to the force, he ran as fast as he could as his feet kept the traction. And just as he neared the pit, he kicked off the wall, his hand reaching out and grabbing onto the ledge.

The tips of his fingers just barely reached it and he felt his grip slipping away from him as his body crashed into the stone. Just as he slipped off, a hand reached out and grabbed his. Xiang looked up and saw Mei desperately trying to hold onto Xiang. She refused to let go of him as she tried tugging him back up. Xiang felt his weight starting to pull her down with him and he was prepared to let go to save Mei.

Before he released his hand, two more hands reached out and added to Mei's strength. Xiang's eyes widened as he saw Arthur and Yao grunting as they helped each other pull him up. With a final effort, the trio pulled Xiang up and onto the ground, panting as they leaned back.

"That was a close one," Arthur exclaimed. "Our arms are a bit sore from being hung there for so long."

"At least we're together again," Mei smiled.

* * *

><p>Ivan grinned widely as he stepped into his limo. "Are the explosives set?"<p>

"Yes," Natalia answered.

"Good. Those fools actually thought I'd let them escape so easily? I wish I could see their faces as their glimmer of hope burst into flames and be crushed."

The vehicle started and they began to drive away from the scene. "Natalia, call Mr. Honda. Tell him the job is done and I want my payment."

* * *

><p>Xiang panted quietly as he pulled Mei into a tight hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again."<p>

"I promise," Mei assured.

"You guys… what's that beeping noise? ~aru"

Xiang raised an eyebrow at Yao's outburst but listened closely. His eyes widened in fear as he realized that Yao wasn't imagining the sound. "Everyone, we need to get out! Now!"

No one asked questions and they all rose to their feet and made a dead run for the stairs. Climbing the stone steps, Xiang glanced back and saw a fiery burst explode from the room below. The torrent of flames began to follow them. Just as they reached the base floor, a circle of explosions began to erupt from the walls and pillars of the complex. The group made a desperate run for the exit as rubble began to crumble down.

Xiang took out his sword once more and slashed at any of the rock that came near them but the pieces were gradually becoming larger. In the final seconds of the explosion, the group leaped out of the building just as the thing came falling down and burying the inside in dust and concrete.

"T-that was even closer…" Arthur exclaimed.

"You didn't even have to say that ~aru," Yao agreed.

"Is it finally over?" Mei asked.

"Maybe… they probably think we're dead," Arthur answered. "This would probably be the best time to leave."

"I agree with you, Arthur," Xiang announced. "But you and I both know… when they don't find our remains in there they'll come to find us."

"Then what do you suggest?" Arthur asked.

"If we'll ever be safe, we need them to stop. And they're after me so I won't ask any of you to help but I need to finish them off before anything else happens."

"Xiang, you know I'll always be with you," Mei swore.

"And don't forget us ~aru," Yao added.

Xiang smiled slightly, "Thank you. I'll consider it but trust me when I say that I don't want you guys getting hurt anymore in this dangerous feud. I'll be sure to end things. One way or another."

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the characters, just the plot and story<strong>

**A/n: Here's another update :D The story is nearing its ending now that Xiang has found a clear purpose to take and do. As you can see Ivan and Natalia are appearing more and the next chapter will be the final battle between them and Xiang so be ready for it. There was more iggychu in this chapter too so hoped you liked that. As always, thank you my dear readers and reviewers for following this story for so long. Until the next update, see you later.**


	24. Chapter 24: Life's Virtue

_Life is full of disappointments but looking for those precious moments is what makes it worthwhile; and each life's worth is only determined by what they think_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 24:**_

_**Life's Virtue**_

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The meeting location was far more different and far from private. A party was in full swing as the music boomed and people were dancing like animals. Kiku and his guards sat in the back of the room where the music still penetrated and rang in his ears. He had no idea why Ivan would pick such a loud and obnoxious place to meet. But on second thought, it was probably to annoy him and to have witnesses if anything were to happen.

Ivan soon arrived with a smug grin on his face as he sat down. As always he was accompanied by Natalia and a few guards. But the girl went everywhere he went, like a shadow. "Well Kiku, my payment?"

The Japanese man snapped his fingers and one of his guards brought over a briefcase. "The plans are inside along with a sample of drug are inside. And any other information concern it has been placed inside as well."

Ivan carefully opened the case and after checking it himself, he handed it to one of the guards to do a double check. Once the guard nodded to him, Ivan smiled. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Farewell then Braginski."

Ivan held his grin as he left the club with the briefcase in hand. Once Kiku was sure he was gone, he made his move for his own leave. "Honda-sama," one of the guards said.

"What is it?"

"Are you sure it was fair to deal with that madman?"

"It's not your place to question what I do or don't do," he said lowly.

"I apologize."

"If you must know, it doesn't matter what he does with that drug. It's still highly unstable and slowly deteriorates the mind. And no one's survived the tests."

* * *

><p>Xiang took a deep breath as he loaded his guns and looked outside. A gentle blanket of snow covered everything in an innocent white. Taking his gaze away from the window and returned his attention back to preparing himself for the inevitable fight. His body shook slightly but not from fear but the anticipation that the ending was near. This would be one of his greatest battles.<p>

Mei walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You sure you're going to be okay out there alone?"

"I'm sure, Mei. I know it won't be easy but its better this way."

"That's arguable you know," she commented. "But this is your decision and I support you. I know you can do it."

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "How's your shoulder doing?"

"Better than three days ago. I heal pretty fast."

"That's good," he murmured. "Rest easy now and I'll be in constant contact."

"Arthur and I will be watching the monitors and listening to your every move. If you need help we'll be there straight away."

"Hopefully it won't come to that…" Xiang put away his gun and squeezed Mei tightly. "I'll be back."

"Make sure it's soon," she pleaded.

Xiang nodded and kissed her goodbye before going outside. A chilled wind blew past him, carrying flakes of white that disappeared on touch. Xiang tightened his clothing before going over to his car. After he jumped into the warm vehicle, he drove off toward the train station.

* * *

><p>Sighing deeply, Yao walked away from the living room. As he entered the kitchen, he saw Arthur trying to cook something and immediately went over to stop him. "No! I got it ~aru."<p>

"I was just trying to make some scones for myself."

"I'll make enough for you and some leftovers for later, okay?" Yao was determined to deter him from making any food whatsoever. The last time he saw Arthur cook, they ended up with charcoal for food and half the kitchen on fire. Thankfully it was at his small house so no one noticed anything.

Arthur nodded grudgingly and stood off to the side to make tea. That much he knew he could do. As he waited for the water to boil, he turned around and was surprised at Yao's expression. It was sad.

"Yao… are you okay?"

"Huh? I'm fine ~aru. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Don't lie to me, Yao. There's something wrong. What is it?" Yao looked down at the dough he was kneading and turned silent. "Is it Xiang? Mei?"

"It's Mei… ~aru"

"I'm surprised. I thought you'd be worried about Xiang. But please explain."

"It's not that. I do care about Xiang but it's this life, Arthur. I'm not sure how Mei can handle all of this madness ~aru. Guns, organizations, fighting, death; it's just too much."

"Are you really worried about her or yourself?"

Yao looked somewhat insulted at the remark. "How dare you say that to me? I love Mei. She's my sister."

"Don't get me wrong. I didn't mean to offend you in anyway. Trust me. But Yao… I know this life isn't easy. For anyone and that includes you. I need to know how you're dealing with this. Mei's a strong girl and she has Xiang."

"I'm fine… I may not like this change but it's not overwhelming me ~aru. The reason why I'm like this isn't just because I'm worried about Mei or Xiang. I understand how Mei feels because I'm worried about you too."

"How does that have anything to do with how you feel?"

Biting his lip slightly, Yao brought a reluctant gaze toward Arthur to full attention. "Arthur… I need to know ~aru. What am I to you?" Yao stared at the startled Englishmen for a while, the anxiousness of his question eating away at him and creating a hole only Arthur could fill.

Arthur took a deep breath and stared back at Yao, holding onto his lower back. "My most honest answer would be one of my first and dearest friends." The answer was one Yao expected but he seemed unsatisfied with it. He was surprised when Arthur tucked one of his hands under his chin, lifting his gaze back toward his own. "Now let me ask you a question. Is it wrong if I fell in love with that dear friend?"

Yao's eyes widened, his heartbeat starting to race as his voice became hitched slightly. "N-not at all ~aru."

Slowly, Arthur closed the distance between them and gently pressed his lips against Yao's. A fire seemed to be lit within both of them in that single connection, the other being the spark they needed. The flame that they created wasn't blazing out of control, rather it was a gentle and warm light that gave both of them hope. A wish that they found a place with the other.

* * *

><p>For the past few days, they began to track Ivan's entire operation and movements. They were careful in their planning as well, watching for the moment when he would be without most of his guards. Their chance came when Ivan decided to take a train ride out of town to go on some kind of business. Whatever the reason was, he would be with fewer guards and less prepared for an assault.<p>

Even if it was the perfect moment, Xiang still couldn't take it easy. Ivan was a crafty man who utilized everyone around him to his full benefit. And his shadow of a guard Natalia would obviously be with him. It came to be expected that if there was any kind of meeting with Ivan, Natalia would be there as well.

Xiang pulled into the train yard and the sounds of the engines as they prepared to leave. Shutting his car, he ran out, using the cover of the night and clouds to his advantage. Just as the train began to leave, Xiang ran onto the side of the smooth white train and leaped onto the roof of the train. The cold rush of the wind crashed into Xiang's face as he held desperately onto the roofing. The speed was incredible and the sheer force on Xiang's body had him using all his strength just to stay on.

As the train increased in speed, he felt his grip slipping and he took out one of his daggers and stabbed it into the roof to stay on. Soon enough, the train stayed on a constant speed and he could finally move. He had to be careful as he stood up; even the slightest slip up and he would end up off and crushed from the momentum.

Running across the train, he went to the tip of the speed-rail vehicle and lowered his head to the windows. To his luck, Ivan and Natalia were sitting in first class and the entire cart was empty save for them. Raising his head back up, he began to formulate a plan but there was only so much he could do. He needed a way to separate them from the other passengers or risk unwanted casualties.

Unlocking the carts was the simplest solution but Xiang needed to enter the train. As they continued to move Xiang realized that time was of the essence. If they got too far away from the city it would be difficult for him to return without notice and even harder for Mei to find him.

Xiang was prepared to take them out without a fight as he pulled out a ball of poisonous gas. The moment when he released it, the sphere would erupt with the gas and take out Ivan and Natalia. And the best part, since they were locked in a different compartment, the other passengers wouldn't be affected.

Slipping on a leather glove, he turned his hand into a fist and slammed it into the glass window below. The reflective surface cracked as shards entered the inside. Xiang quickly took the ball and tossed it into the inside, activating the device before it landed into the train.

On the inside, the sphere exploded and spilled the deadly gas into the train. Ivan's eyes grew wide as he realized the assassination attempt but was too slow to stop the gas from reaching his lungs. He began to cough as his lungs demanded for oxygen. Natalia quickly covered her mouth and slipped out knives from her free hand and lunged the blades at the windows. All the windows inside the compartment were shattered in a matter of seconds and the gas was freely flowing outside.

Ivan began to breathe more easily and he lifted his head and stared at the sphere. Natalia, catching her breath, ran over and kicked the ball out of the train. Natalia turned to check if Ivan was alright and his death glare told her what she needed to do.

Taking a deep breath, Natalia grabbed onto the opened window and leaped onto the roof of the train. When she landed onto the roof, she saw Xiang with a disappointed expression on his face. The girl glared at him and took out her knives. Xiang responded with unsheathing two swords and taking a fighting stance.

Xiang's eyes were darkened and intensified by his deadly purpose and mission. In a rush of speed, he charged the girl and threw out the first attack. His slashes were met with the cold blades of her knives as she struck back. The two were even in terms of speed as they continued to battle but Xiang soon began to exert more of his strength into each blow.

Natalia was forced back and she realized that she wasn't a match for Xiang without pulling on tricks. An idea came to her mind and she pulled out more knives. Xiang took a defensive stance, ready to knock them out of his way.

The girl threw the knives but they went faster than Xiang expected. The knives disappeared at a blur and he felt the scratches on his body before he even moved. His eyes were wide as Natalia had a pleased look on her face. In that same blur she began to throw her knives and Xiang dodged on instinct. The stinging blades still scratched at his limbs and body but now that he was on the move, Natalia had more trouble.

"I still need to get used to this…" she murmured.

She continued to throw the blades toward Xiang at a blinding a speed as he tried to figure out what was causing the change in velocity. When the train hit a bump, he realized what it was. The train was moving in favor of her attacks. The train was basically dragging his body toward the blades as they were propelled by Natalia's force. Xiang had no way to fight against such a tactic unless he could use it for himself. But with her in the front, she would never let that happen. But Xiang didn't need to wait for that chance. Another came into sight and it was approaching quickly.

Xiang took out his gun and aimed it at her. "I know your trick."

"You can't stop it, can you?" she scoffed.

"You might want to look behind you."

"I'm not going to fall for that."

"I warned you." Instead of firing his gun, Xiang dropped down to his stomach and Natalia raised her eyes.

Turning around, she saw a bridge coming in fast and she mimicked his actions, dropping to the roof just as they passed under the stone pathway. As the darkness completely sealed them inside, Xiang moved his pistol and aimed it and began to fire. Natalia rolled away to dodge but as her body came near the edge of the train, she stopped as a bullet embedded itself into her shoulder. She cried out but it only intensified her focus as she took out her knives.

Xiang smirked and rolled over and off of the roof. Natalia was stunned at the move, wondering why he would do that before she realized what it was. Before she did, Xiang had already slid inside the first compartment of the train and was now in sight with Ivan. The Russian was surprised by his appearance but Xiang wasn't concerned with him right then and there. He threw out a smoke bomb that covered the cart and he knew he only had seconds before the gas dispersed.

Running over to the front of the train, he unlocked it and went into the control room. The conductor looked at him like he was crazy but Xiang chopped the back of his neck, quickly knocking him out before he went over to the controls. He shuffled through the buttons and levers before figuring out how to detach parts of the train. First thing he did was detach all of the compartments except for the first. After he was sure they were unlocked and drifting away, he moved to set a timer for the train to stop. Setting it for five minutes, it would put the control room and engine far away once he was done. Xiang then separated the first compartment with the control room before stepping back into the first. This battle would remain private and away from those who could be hurt.

Once the smoke cleared away, Xiang was face to face with an unamused Ivan. "You should be dead," he said harshly.

"Well I'm not, da?" he mocked.

Ivan began to remove something from his pocket and it was a syringe. "This time, I'll make sure that you're dead. Personally." Ivan stabbed his arm with the syringe and injected whatever liquid that was inside.

Dropping the syringe, Ivan's body began to shake as his veins pulsed and showed. He let out a roar as his eyes flared with a deadly power and darkened. Ivan lowered his head and grinned as he stared at Xiang. The assassin took out his swords and took a fighting stance but even with that Xiang felt something being emitted from Ivan, something extremely volatile and dangerous. It was like staring down at a barbaric beast that was hungry for destruction.

In a flash of monstrous speed and strength, Ivan charged and rammed into Xiang despite the swords being pointed toward him. Ivan ignored the slashes toward his body and the two crashed through the compartment and onto the ground. Xiang rolled over and quickly jumped to his feet as he groaned from the pain. It was unreal. The change in Ivan was immense in both speed and strength. Whatever he injected with himself, it just changed the tide of the fight in his favor.

Xiang knew fighting head to head with Ivan would be suicide. And things got even worse when Natalia jumped down from the roof of the compartment to join him. The two individually were menacing enough; together, they would be nearly indestructible. Ivan reached out to the side of the cart and ripped off a long and thick piece of metal. He swung the rod around, pleased with its density and speed. Xiang feared that it with Ivan's new strength, even one hit from him with that would shatter his bones. At which point he'd be given a dirt nap.

Glancing around quickly, Xiang tried to figure out where they were and if he could use that to his advantage. They were in some kind of storage area as crates after crates of storage were spread throughout the area. It was likely this was one of the stops they used to drop off transports. Xiang didn't know what were being held inside the steel containers so they were as good as nothing if he couldn't make use of them. But they would work for cover.

Xiang threw out his last smoke bomb and made a run for the maze of containers behind him. He heard Ivan barking out orders to chase after him but Xiang wasn't about to let them catch him so easily. Once he reached the inside of the network of crates, he climbed to the top of one of them and waited out until the smoke dispersed. When it cleared, Xiang saw Ivan and Natalia running around desperately trying to find him.

It would be safer to take out Natalia so Xiang set his sights on her and followed her. His silent steps were unheard and unnoticed as he tailed her. Taking out his blade, he waited until she stopped briefly to look around. Xiang leaped from the container with his blade raised over his head as he crashed down. Natalia turned around just as Xiang's blade touched her shoulder and slashed across her body in a wave of blood. The girl let out a weak curse as she collapsed to the ground.

Xiang shook his blade of the crimson and turned around to hunt for Ivan. But his target was in front of him. "Hello," he sneered.

He raised his arm and slammed his fist into Xiang's stomach, knocking him across the air and into the ground. Xiang coughed and gasped as he clutched his stomach. All his breath was taken from him in that single blow and Ivan charged Xiang, preparing to continue the onslaught. Xiang got to his feet and ran to the side and back into the maze. But Ivan had his sights locked onto Xiang.

Xiang cursed as he realized he used Natalia as a decoy just to lure him out. The man was cruel but his plans were effective. He realized that running wasn't going to solve his fight but he needed a plan. Escaping was no crossed off the list as he ran into a dead end.

He spun around and saw Ivan slowing down with a smug grin on his face. "Nowhere to run now."

Xiang couldn't fight him without taking serious injuries and using his explosives would kill him as well in such close quarters. Xiang took out his swords ready to fight for the last time if he had to. "This will be the final time I fight you."

"I must agree. It will end terribly for you however."

Xiang took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his sword. Strength wouldn't help him here. Only skill. Ivan didn't waste any time in charging Xiang with his amplified speed. This time Xiang knew what to expect as he parried the rod and made a slash toward Ivan. Ivan instead spun around, rolling the slash off and spinning back to try and slam the rod into Xiang's back. Diving forward, Xiang dodged the attack and rolled onto his back and kicked Ivan in his stomach. The man crashed into the metal behind him and Xiang jumped to his feet. The blow didn't even slow Ivan down as he came back for another strike.

Xiang backed up against one of the crates and narrowly dodged the strike to his skull. A waterfall of white powder burst from the hole Ivan created with his swung and Xiang got an idea. Quickly he dived under Ivan and rolled back onto his feet, making a dead run for the other side. Ivan chased after him and swung at him, his rod singing through the air as it came into contact with another container. Xiang had ducked and made a slash upward, cutting through the rod but that was only part of his aim. He stabbed it into the container and used his other to stab into it as well and climb the metal.

When he reached the top, several streams of flour continued to pour out into the open. Ivan scowled as he stared up at him. "Running away you brat?"

"Who said I was running?" Unzipping his coat, Xiang revealed dozens of ninja stars on the inside. Grabbing onto the thin sharp stars, Xiang began to throw them at Ivan in a burst of speed. Ivan quickly ran to the side, taking evasive action as he dodged the sharp airborne weapons. His bulk proved to be a disadvantage to himself because he was just a larger target for Xiang.

But at the end of Xiang's last star, Ivan was left with only a few scratches and a smug grin. "You didn't even hit me."

Xiang's face didn't change as he stared blankly at Ivan. "I wasn't aiming for you."

Ivan turned around and saw the dozens of stars impaled into the metal container behind and the downpour of flour that was emerging from it. The strong gust of the weather aided Xiang in spreading the flour all around them and Ivan grew even more irritated. "You think you can hide with this!"

"I'm not going to run. I never said I would hide. This is going to be your undoing." Xiang took out a small match from his pocket and raised it. "Have you ever heard of dust explosions, Ivan?"

The man's eyes grew wide as he realized what was happening and began to make a run for it. "Not quick enough." Xiang lit the match and threw it into the bloom of flour. Xiang quickly turned around, jumping off and onto another container as he ran as well. He had height to his advantage just as the flame touched the flour.

The moment the heat hit the dusty flour, it reacted and a startling eruption of flames burst from the area and exploded, sending anything around it into a ball of fire. The explosion continued to expand as it touch the flour inside the containers, engulfing the area in an orange and red cloud. Ivan's back was hit with the blow and shock as he was thrown forward. He came crashing into the ground, his back singed and burned from the fire. He screamed out in pain as he rolled around trying to put out the fire covering him.

The aid of the snow helped him recover as he stood up, panting. As he stood up, he saw a dark figure looming over him and his eyes widened as Xiang had his sword raised and ready to cut him down. "Your arrogance will come to an end." Without any hesitation, he swung down. A wave of blood covered the blade and white snow underneath them. But it wasn't Ivan's.

Natalia stood in front of Ivan, her head lowered and her arms outstretched as she took the blow. Slowly she fell to the side and collapsed onto the ground. Xiang was stunned by her appearance and even more so by taking a fatal blow for Ivan. But Ivan wasn't letting it get to him as he rushed forward to attack Xiang. His tackle made contact as they both crashed into the ground and wrestled with punches as they tried to gain the advantage over the other. Xiang refused to let him be dominated as he got to his feet. But Ivan was fast as he grabbed onto Xiang's arm and twisted it and slammed him into one of the metal containers.

He pulled Xiang back and slammed him into the metal once again. The blow was having its effects on Xiang as he started to lose consciousness. But as Ivan pulled him back and pushed him forward, Xiang quickly acted and ran against the container and flipped back behind Ivan, turning the tables as he shoved him into the metal. Xiang took out his gun and began to shoot without restraint into Ivan's back. Each bullet lodged itself into him and his body shook in response until the bloodied wounds began to spread out.

Xiang backed up as Ivan leaned against the container limply. As Xiang took a step back, Ivan turned around, letting out a roar as he charged Xiang once more. But before he could, Xiang shot a bullet into his skull and Ivan's eyes began to roll into his skull as he collapsed. A loud thud was made when he hit the ground and was motionless. Xiang stared at his body for a moment before turning away and began to take his leave.

After a few feet he heard something shifting in the snow and turned around quickly with his gun ready. He didn't need to shoot. Natalia was crawling over to Ivan's body, leaving a bloody trail behind her until she reached him, holding onto his hand as tears ran down her face. Even though the tears clouded her eyes, and even though sadness filled them, there was something else within them. Something that showed within anyone's eyes along with those tears. He finally understood why Natalia went everywhere with Ivan and even gave her life to him.

Xiang turned around slowly and before they became completely blind to him, he saw the smallest smile on Natalia's expression before she laid her head against his chest. He didn't hear anything else from them anymore. Not any movement and not even the slightest hint of breathing. In their final moments, they were together and they would be in their resting place.

Xiang took a deep breath as he walked away, the feeling over exhaustion overtaking him. He took his communication device and spoke into. "Hey, I need a ride…"

He waited a moment before the sweet voice of Mei responded. "We have your location. We'll be right there."

"Thanks Mei…," he closed his eyes, grateful to have someone as loyal as her. "I love you."

"I love you too Xiang. See you soon."

Xiang began to make his way out of the storage yard when a loud crash made his eyes widen. He slowly turned around and standing on top of one of the containers was a shadowy figure. Xiang stared at the figure just as the snow and clouds began to part. The moon of the night opened and its radiant light shined down, revealing the silhouette.

"The battle isn't over just yet," Yong Soo grinned.

"Y-you…"

"Me," he smirked. "Kiku was pretty mad when he didn't find your remains in the ruins. And then I was sent out to find you. And if I did, eliminate you as well." Xiang took out his sword and held it in a back-handed style. Yong Soo still grinned, "The top spy versus the top assassin in a battle to the death… don't you think that'd be an epic battle to record?" When Xiang remained unresponsive, Yong Soo just laughed. "Just as silent as ever. Well I'm not just looks you know. There's a reason why I'm the top."

Instead of continuing to babble at Xiang, Yong Soo slide down from the crate and dashed off toward Xiang as he took out his own sword. Xiang charged the Korean at full speed and as the two neared each other, they weapons clashed as they ran past the other. The two spun around and went for another attack but it was met with the same results as sparks flew from steel. Yong Soo clearly had the advantage in the fight and he wasn't going to just throw it away for a fair fight. With unrelenting strength, they clashed again but this time their blades were locked in a fierce struggle for dominance. Yong Soo continued to laugh out, letting his enjoyment and power rule over him as he let his height overpower the tired Xiang. If anything else, it was to aggravate Xiang even more.

Xiang quickly slid under the attack and chained another slash toward Yong Soo. But the guy was fast as he rolled out of the way and made a counter attack with his hilt which smashed into Xiang's back. The assassin was forced forward as he staggered to regain his balance. Yong Soo wasn't about to give him the chance to recover as he threw a kick into his side, sending Xiang flying into the ground. Xiang regained his focus quickly and jumped back onto his feet as he panted. Yong Soo charged him once again but Xiang took out his gun and began to fire at the Korean. Diving to the side, Yong Soo dodged the bullets with ease as he made his way closer and closer to Xiang.

"You're far too tired to fight with me, Xiang."

As much as he resisted his bantering, he was right. Xiang was injured and exhausted from his battle with Ivan and now he was left with less than half of his normal endurance and strength to fight against Yong Soo. But he refused to give up. And Xiang had more than his skills to rely on. He had his intellect and an array of weapons he could use, aside from the ones he already used.

Taking out his automatic guns, he aimed the rifles at Yong Soo and fired. This time the spy knew not to try and dodge the rapid bullets and dived behind a container for protection. Xiang stopped momentarily and followed Yong Soo and once he saw his figure, he fired. Yong Soo was sly though as he hid in the shadows and grew as silent as a sitting rock. Xiang stood in wait, trying to listen to his movements but the guy was even more silent than himself surprisingly. But he was a talker, and Xiang was going to exploit that to its fullest.

"Come out a fight, Yong Soo. I didn't know a spy was a chicken."

"Hey! I'm not a bird!" Xiang smirked and spun around, shooting at where the sound came from. The bullets ran into the metal of the containers and Yong Soo still evaded him.

Before Xiang could put his plan into action once again, Yong Soo came from behind him and tackled him to the ground, knocking the guns aside as they fought with their bare hands. Xiang blocked his fists and held them as he tried to push back. Yong Soo grunted and pulled his head back and slammed it into Xiang's forcing him to let go and stumble back. Yong Soo seemed unaffected as he threw out more punches toward Xiang. Dodging the fists, Xiang focused and used a palm thrust that knocked Yong Soo back and left his chest stinging. Taking the offensive, Xiang ran toward him and slammed his knee into Yong Soo's stomach but standing his ground, the spy withstood it and clapped both of his hands together into a fist and smashed it into Xiang's back.

Xiang collapsed to the ground and Yong Soo quickly kicked him into the crate behind him. Xiang weakly looked up, panting as he raised his gun. But when he pulled his trigger, it came out empty. "Looks like you're out of bullets," he sneered. Yong Soo walked over to Xiang, taking out a dagger from his pocket. "The great assassin finished off by a knife. That must be so humiliating I bet."

Walking over to Xiang, Yong Soo kneeled down and raised his knife to stab Xiang, but the sound of a gun being taken out stopped him. The barrel was placed directly against Yong Soo's forehead as Xiang smirked. "I always keep a spare."

"N-No…"

"The top spy killed at gun point. That must be humiliating." Xiang pulled the trigger and the sound echoed through the empty night.

Yong Soo dropped the knife, his eyes left wide open as he fell back into the snow. Xiang dropped his arm as his head lowered to the ground, the last of his strength leaving him as blackness crept up on him. Before he passed out, he could hear his name being called out and the image of Mei coming toward him. Xiang smiled softly, glad that he still had his life but even more so that he could live with and for her.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the characters, just the plot and story <strong>

**A/n: A bit late on this update but here it is :) I hope you guys enjoyed the iggychu. And Ivan and Natalia's story is finally over after a climatic battle but even though the end is near, it's still not over. Expect Xiang to face off against an old rival and more drama to unfold as Xiang comes to terms with his past. For any of those confused about some of the things in this chapter, Natalia's knives moved that fast because it was aided by the train's speed. The dust explosion is a combination of combustible powdery substances such as flour and all it takes is it for to be airborne and lit to create a startling explosion. Yong Soo also appeared and it is a bit sad that his role is so small in this chapter and ended so abruptly but it had to be done to show that Kiku really has used all his best men. Well I think that'll be all. Thank you to my you my dear reader and thank you to my wonderful reviewers. Until the next update, see you guys. Only two chapters left before the series' end.**


	25. Chapter 25: Laconic Clash

_Past ordeals are bound to resurface and one must look back and face them; even if the task is unbearable, the potential to fight back is so much greater when loneliness is erased_

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 25:**_

_**Laconic Clash**_

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The house was quiet save for the rocking of the wind outside. The soft breathing of Xiang sleeping was the only real sound that entered Mei's ears. She sat by his bed just like before when they fought off the two police officers. Only this time his injuries were far worse. Xiang had several broken bones and ribs and lost some blood too. When Mei found him collapsed, she almost panicked at the sight but stayed strong to take him back. Once they did get back home, immediate treatment needed to be given to Xiang. It had been almost two weeks since then and Xiang would have to stay in bed for at least another week before he should get out.

Mei tended to him during that entire time, not minding having to be his nurse or anything. She wanted to be there for him and this time she prayed that he wouldn't have to fight again. This time he might not have come back to her. Smoothing her hand through his hair, she smiled lightly. She was glad that at least he did come back. That was all that mattered.

She waited by his side until he day turned to night and the sun fell to make room for the moon. Xiang slowly opened his eyes to see Mei nodding off. Weakly, he reached out to brush her hair which made her snap up immediately. The silent communication of their eyes told her what to do. She smiled lightly, going on the other side of the bed and crawling in. She stayed on his side but didn't touch him, afraid that the mere contact would cause him pain.

He showed her differently, wrapping his arms around her gently and nuzzling into her touch. He wanted to show her that he was being strong and that he greatly appreciated and loved her presence. Mei smiled, caressing his back before falling asleep. He followed soon after, wanting to cherish every second he could have with her.

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><p>The snow covered wind blew in spirals across the city. Standing on top of the towering skyscraper was a lone individual. A black scarf concealed his face, revealing only the deep brown eyes that carried no emotion but a flare of purpose lasted in them. As he waited, the storm only continued to fall and a thin layer of frost rested on top of his shoulders and head. After a moment, the door to the roof opened and boots clacked against the ground until they came to a stop behind him.<p>

He turned around slightly, staring at the face until he returned his attention back to the city. "What are you doing up here?" he asked.

Taking another step forward, the person revealed herself in the moonlight next to the other. Her dark skin glowed within the fresh light of the moon as her hair cascaded to her shoulder in a waterfall of softness. She moved slightly closer to the other, her creamy chocolate skin pressing against him in a small hug. Her dark eyes, unlike his, were full of warmth and caring but at the same time they held the strength of cold truth. Not afraid to do what she had to or say what she had to.

"Making sure you keep in line," she answered.

"Instead of watching me you should be tracking _him_ down."

"You and I both know that you already did that. What are you waiting for?"

"I'm waiting for the right moment…"

"The moment is now. You're just putting it off."

"You're one to talk. You slack off a lot too when it comes to work."

"So? I get it done at some point. If you want to do this, you shouldn't waste anymore time."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "Now let's get going."

"You know this might not end well for us."

"The end is what you make of it," she smiled.

She couldn't see behind the scarf but looking at him in his eyes, she knew he was smiling, even if it was a small one. He got up from his seat and turned around from the edge of the roof and walked toward the door. "Jasmine, let's go." The girl got up as well and began to follow with a spring in her step. He sighed, "Love is as beautiful as it is miserable."

She laughed, "whatever you say, Sheng."

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><p>Xiang weakly walked around the house, wanting to get out of bed for once. As he roamed around the house, the sounds of the kitchen being used echoed with the sound of roaring fire and pans. When he went up to the third floor, he found Arthur researching something but Xiang didn't care much for whatever it was. When he returned back downstairs, something he hadn't heard in a long time resounded within his ears. The sound of a piano.<p>

He walked as quietly as his legs would let him until he reached the corner of the hall. Peeking into the music room, he saw Mei sitting at the piano, her hands delicately touching the keys. She played a gentle melody as her hands crossed the piano. It wasn't complex or heart touching but it warmed him to hear it. The simple song brought a smile to her face as she play, relishing the music she was able to produce.

Xiang gently tapped the side of the doorway and she turned around to see him. "Xiang! You should be resting," she frowned.

He walked over to her and let out a sigh of relief when he sat down on the bench. "I felt like getting out. And I'm fine enough to move around. I know to take it easy."

"Xiang…"

"I'm fine, Mei. I'm not hurting myself and I think moving around will get my body used to my weight and motions again faster than laying in a bed, don't you think?"

"Okay… but if I see even the slightest bit of pain from you, you're going back to bed."

"As long as you come with me," he grinned. Mei blushed, turning her attention back to the piano as she murmured something incoherent. "Are you going to play something?"

She nodded. "Remember that piece I said I wanted to bring back from my room?"

"Yeah. Is this it?"

"Nope. I improved it."

Mei smiled lightly and took a deep breath before closing her eyes. Every so slowly; Mei began to press her fingers against the keys, playing and creating a steady melody that filled the room. The tranquil song steadied her nerves and Xiang's, keeping them both at peace while giving them something different. A new aspiring feeling began to shape and form but it was different from the love they already shared. It reassured him, wrapping him in a shroud of the beautiful symphony of notes that she created. The tune wrapped itself around his heart, warming it in a way he never felt before. It separated him from that sorrow and loneliness that still hid itself and slowly it began to disappear within that

The song came to a gradual end and Xiang found himself smiling softly as the final notes were played. "That was lovely."

Lifting her hands from the piano, she wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug. "I'm glad you liked it. I wrote and played it specifically for you." Xiang rested his head on hers, relaxing into her arms. "I've been working on it for so long… it's just when we came back that I knew how I wanted it to be."

"I can't be thankful enough for what you've done."

"You don't have to be. I love you, Xiang. I just wanted to show it more."

"You already do just by being here with my day by day. I love you too. And no matter what, I'm thankful to you—grateful that I have you to love and someone who cares."

"I'll always care about you, Xiang. You'll always have a place in my heart and soul."

Xiang quietly nuzzled into her hair, not wanting or needing to say anything. He wanted to enjoy this moment they created and hold her until he couldn't anymore. But if there was anything he could give to her, he would give her a more normal life. One where they didn't have to worry about people trying to capture or kill them but one where they could live peacefully and together. He didn't know how to give that to her at the moment but he would do it if the chance ever showed itself.

"Do you want to take a walk?" he asked.

"Are you sure you're strong enough?"

"You'll be with me so yes." Xiang struggled from a moment to get himself off the bench and onto his feet but once he did, he moved toward the garden where Mei followed swiftly. She stayed close by his side, ready to catch him if his strength were to fail him.

The two stepped outside as the cold embraced them and nipped at their warm skin. Mei moved closer to Xiang, intertwining her hand with his as they walked, sharing the warmth that they could. But within that small connection, it seemed as though that warmth spread throughout their entire body. They continued to walk forward until they stood in front of a bush of flowers. The sparkling frost of the snow lightly covered the plant. Xiang kneeled down and carefully brushed some of the snow off and the flower instantly snapped up, revealing the beauty of the red peony. He smiled lightly, picking the plant from its stop.

"Why did you do that?" she frowned. "It'll die faster now."

He stood up and placed it in her hair. "It would have wilted in this cold soon enough… I figured that it would want to spend its final moments with a beauty just like itself."

Mei flushed, averting her eyes from him. "How can you be a romantic even in such a situation…?"

"How can I not be? Nights like these are to be remembered. Especially with the one you love."

Mei smiled behind her reddening face and hugged him. "You're right."

A patch of snow fell from the rooftops and the two turned to see what it was. At first they thought their eyes were playing tricks on them. But the moment the moon shined on their home, they knew it wasn't. Two figures were standing on top, one standing straight up with crossed arms and the other kneeled down on one knee. Neither made any motion to move and Mei and Xiang were paralyzed at the sight.

The one to break the silence was the one with crossed arms. "Don't worry, Xiang. We'll make sure you remember this night for the rest of your life."

"Even if it ends tonight," the other added.

Xiang's eyes widened as he stared at the two. The one with crossed arms; his voice struck something deep within his memories unlike anything he felt before. His body shook as the nostalgia washed over him and from the fear of what he remembered. "I-It's not possible."

"You should know that nothing's impossible, Xiang."

Again the mention of his name felt like a deep blow to Xiang. Mei looked back to Xiang and to the strangers nervously. "Xiang? What's wrong? Who are they?"

"Y-you… Y-you died…"

"Who died, Xiang?" Mei demanded. The look in Xiang's eyes was something she never saw before. It was fear. But it was far different from anything she saw. She's seen his fear of losing her but this fear hit deeper than that.

"As you can see, I'm very much alive."

The voice was different than Xiang remembered but the resemblance was far too close to the original. It was possible that it changed as they aged. Xiang didn't know what to think of the situation however. "It can't be you… Whoever you are, you're just messing with me." Xiang had to believe that.

"Looks like you need to be shown proof."

Xiang shook his head and stood up straight and grabbed Mei's hand. "We need to get out of here, now."

Mei didn't need to ask as they ran deeper into the garden, zigzagging through the trees as the sound of a large drop was heard from behind. Xiang stopped at a spot next to a tree and put his hand through the opening in the tree and seemed to press something. Suddenly a loud siren was heard throughout the mansion and Mei flinched from the sound burst. When Xiang pulled his hand back, he had a gun within his grasps. He placed the weapon into his coat and continued to run with Mei.

"X-Xiang, where are we going?"

"We're moving around to the garage. We need to get in a car and leave before they catch us."

"What was that siren?"

"It alerted my staff to take action. The older ones would hide while the younger would prepare to fight if needs be. Also it'll warn Arthur and Yao."

Mei wanted to ask more but she had to keep herself from asking anymore until they were at least safe. As they ran, Mei noticed the fence surrounding the mansion and knew they were getting close to their destination. Soon enough, their target came into sight but before they could even get near it, the two from before leaped from one of the trees and blocked their way. Xiang cursed, coming to a halting stop.

"You're not going to get away from us," said the girl.

The male quickly snapped around, pulling out his sword as a metal wok came crashing down on him. Mei gasped as she realized Yao lunged toward them with his wok held out and trying to knock him out. The wok was still steaming with heat from his cooking. The male pushed Yao off and Arthur came around with two guns pointed out and began to fire at the two. The assailants took evasive action and dodged the shells.

"Hurry and get to safety!" Arthur shouted.

"What are you two doing? You can't fight against them," Xiang exclaimed.

"We're buying you time ~aru" Yao announced. "Hurry and get to safety."

As much as Xiang wanted to disagree and fight with them, he wasn't in a condition to fight or else he'd risk getting hurt even more. Mei tugged at his arm and he nodded. Grudgingly, he ran for the garage. The guy tried to follow but Yao began to attack him once more and he dodged the blow.

"Jasmine, make sure not to lose them. I'll take care of these two soon enough."

She nodded and ran after Xiang and Mei just as they got into the car. Arthur aimed to shoot her down but his gun was shot out of his hand in an instant. He clutched his hand and turned around to see the male holding a pistol toward him. "Don't even think about it… Arthur."

The Brit's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

"How could I forget it…" he murmured. The male charged them with his sword at his side and ready to kill if he needed to.

Arthur glanced over to Xiang and Mei and saw them finally pulling out and onto the streets. He returned his focus to the male charging them while at the same time hoping that the two could escape the girl. "Get ready, Yao."

"I know ~aru" he spoke.

* * *

><p>Xiang stomped on the gas as the engine roared and took them further and further away from the mansion. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking as he held onto the wheel. He couldn't believe that they found him at his own home. Much less the possibility that it was <em>him<em>.

"Xiang," Mei said calmly. "You need to talk."

"Ask away…" he muttered.

"Do you know those two?"

"I… don't know. Maybe."

"Maybe?" she repeated.

"One of them seems familiar… but that can't be him. He died a long time ago."

"Are you sure? You seem… troubled by his appearance."

"I really don't know, Mei. My head is telling me that it can't be him, but something else is telling me that my head is wrong."

"Okay, let's say that it is him; then what?"

"Then we're in trouble."

"Why? I need to understand, Xiang."

Xiang took a deep breath and stared ahead. "If he's who I'm thinking he is… he's kind of like me. He was one of the hundred that were selected for the Organization's assassin development plan. All of us received intensive training… that is until something happened. The higher ups said the project was costing too much so they came up with an insidious plot."

Xiang lowered his voice now. "They made us slaughter each other until there was only one left…"

Mei covered her mouth, keeping herself from gasping. "I had no idea…"

"He was my friend, Mei… my first friend. He betrayed me and I killed him."

"You had no choice…"

"No," he interrupted. "I did. I could've just accepted my fate and died where he shot me but I didn't. I'm alive because I chose to kill him and live. I'm a monster… I had forgotten about what had happened for years… until the time you were kidnapped. I remembered then."

"You made the decision to live. There's nothing wrong with that… but the fact that you actually feel remorse means that you aren't a monster, Xiang. But if you let that guilt eat away at you, there will be nothing left of you."

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, taking a deep breath. "You're right… I have to move forward."

"And we can find a better tomorrow," she smiled.

"Even with this sadness that I feel from the guilt?"

"If it's you, you can turn that sadness into gentleness one day."

Mei's words hit a chord within his memory and he felt his head ache from it. "W-where did you hear that from?"

"Huh? It's something Yao-ge used to tell me."

"Have you said that to anyone else?" he asked, his heart starting to beat faster.

"Um… it's not something you'd just say to anyone you know?" she giggled. "But I think I have told someone that a long time ago. I don't really remember but it was… a boy… he seemed so sad. Those words meant a lot to me so I told him. Hopefully they helped him."

Xiang smiled lightly, "more than you know…" he whispered.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing," he answered. Mei wanted to ask again, her curiosity begging her but she saw the look on his face and pushed it aside. She didn't need to know if she could bring a smile like that to his face.

The two drove until they entered the city and that's when Xiang had to slow down but he stilled pushed the speed limit, wanting to make sure their assailants couldn't catch them. Being limited to a speed limit, his wish couldn't be granted. From the rear view mirror, he could see a motorcycle speeding towards them.

The high speed of the motorcycle rider caught the attention of a policeman on watch and his siren rang as he made chase. But the rider had no attention of stopping as she continued to follow Xiang and Mei. Xiang was careful on his sharp turns not to catch the attention of the police onto himself but the rider refused to slow down or leave them alone. The girl made even sharper turns than Xiang ever dared and because of it, she was gaining fast.

By the time they were off the highway, a mob of policemen were chasing after the girl as they tried to stop her. Despite having an entire force with them, the policemen couldn't catch the evasive girl. After a few minutes, the sirens started to roar through the city and the girl took out a gun, wanting to silence them. Turning around for only a moment, she shot at the wheels, hitting her target and blowing out the tires. The cars began to back up behind her as she escaped deeper into the city.

Xiang tried searching for a place to park, knowing that a motorcycle could slip through traffic more easily than he could. He spotted a space and quickly pulled into the lot before rushing out with Mei. Before he left the car completely, he went to his trunk and pulled out a sword along with another gun, giving it to Mei. She breathed in deeply, not wanting to use the weapon but knowing that she'd have to if the time came. The two ran toward one of the buildings, seeking to find refuge within the concrete space.

The two panted as they hid inside the parking complex. "Are we going to have to fight against her?" Mei asked.

"I think so… I'm not sure how we'll win in my condition."

"I'm a fighter too!"

Xiang shushed her, "I know but even then I don't have any information on her."

"And that's stopped you before?"

"No but—"

"No buts," she interjected. "Don't doubt yourself, Xiang."

He looked up and saw the distant illumination of the moon. "You're right… okay, let's plan."

* * *

><p>Jasmine came screeching into the parking lot and jumping off her motorcycle. The girl stormed off toward the complex where he saw the two enter but she knew once she entered the building that it would be free reign for ambushes and traps. She had to expect that considering the assassin was injured. She didn't know much about the other girl however. She pouted when the information was withheld from her but she got over it. Surprises were more fun anyway.<p>

Stepping into the concrete building, she began to look around, holding a gun close to her body and paying attention to even the smallest sound that echoed through the empty lot. Sadly, the only thing she could hear were the sound of her own footsteps as she crossed the area. As she continued to walk forward, a sudden crash made her spin around and aim her gun. As she stared at the nothingness, a rock made its way down to her, rolling against the pavement.

Raising an eyebrow, she snapped around just as someone leaped toward her. Jasmine jumped back in response, dodging the initial attack but it was only the first of the assault. Xiang revealed himself from the shadows and lunged at her with his sword forward. She tried to get in enough room to shoot at Xiang put he was far too close and deadly with the sword for her to take the risk.

As she backed up further, she ran into one of the many parked cars and found herself trapped. Xiang dashed off and used a thrust toward her. At the last second, Jasmine shifted her body to the side and the blade impaled the car behind her. As Xiang tried to pull the blade out, the girl elbowed him in the stomach and threw out an uppercut that knocked him back.

Xiang released his hold on the sword and Jasmine took the opportunity to steal the blade. The moment the blade left the car, the car's alarm went off, filling the silence with horrible and annoying honking. Jasmine leaped to slash at the defenseless Xiang and as he tried to dodge, his body cringed at the stress he was putting it through. That moment left him wide open and Jasmine took advantage of the opening and moved to cut him down.

A gun was fired and Jasmine reacted instinctively and jumped out of the way. Turning her head, she saw Mei with the gun pointed toward her and the fire didn't end as the bullets continued to follow. Jasmine ran across the lot as the shells crashed into the windows, increasing the sounds that exploded from the building. Trying to escape the bullets, the girl dived and rolled under the cars to take cover. As she rolled onto the other side of the vehicle, Xiang was in wait, standing on the hood of one of them with his own gun.

Jasmine's eyes widened in shock and Xiang began to pull the trigger. Before he could finish, the gun was quickly shot out of his hand and he jumped off the car and quickly returned to Mei's side. The both of them looked confused by what happened but they saw who shot at them. Standing on top of one of the ledges was the male from before, holding a smoking gun where Xiang was standing.

"I told you to follow, not to fight against them."

Jasmine stood up and ran over to him, taking his side but she didn't look apologetic in the least. "I thought I could handle them. And you came in time. How did you handle the two men?"

"So stubborn…" he murmured. "I knocked them out and came as soon as possible. You're lucky I came in time."

"Okay, I'm sorry…"

"It's fine now…" Jasmine smiled slightly and then quickly returned her focus to the matter at hand. "It seems even when injured that he's formidable."Xiang went over to retrieve his fallen sword, picking it up and raising the gleaming blade. Jasmine moved to fight but an arm moved in front of her, signaling her to stop. "I'll handle this. I want to see how much he's grown… or fallen."

Jasmine reluctantly stood back as he unsheathed his own sword. But truthfully she wanted to see this kind of fight.

The two males disappeared into a burst of speed as their swords met to clash. Immediately it was clear who was stronger as Xiang was pushed back. The Cantonese teen pulled back, panting and clutching his chest. The other continued his assault, swinging his blade and knocking Xiang further back. The assassin had to use all his strength to pull his sword back to his front to even block the attacks as the other knocked him around like it was nothing. The male's face was still covered and Xiang only had his eyes to read. All he saw was disappointment in his eyes.

With a strong swing, Xiang was knocked off balance and a quick kick to his chest knocked him into the air and into the ground. "Even injured you fought well… but your progress isn't what I expected it to be."

Xiang groaned as he tried to get to his feet. "W-who are you?"

"You should know that already."

"You're just an imposter. Show me your face."

"If you want to see my face you're going to have to rip this mask off with your own hands."

Standing up, Xiang tightened his fist and grip on his sword and prepared to fight once more. Xiang took the initiative and charged the other. His movements were completely different from before as his sword arced and slammed into the other and forced him to falter. In the flash of the moonlight, the other saw the darkened eyes of Xiang as he rushed forward and slammed his elbow into his stomach, sending him flying into the wall. He shook his head and regained his senses as he charged and exchanged blows with Xiang.

The two fought at a blinding speed, neither seeming to have any advantage over the other. Xiang did something unexpected as he grabbed onto the other's arm forcing him to mimic the bind. They began to struggle for dominance as they shoved back and forth until Xiang leaned back and slammed his skull into the other. Xiang quickly moved and slashes toward the male's face as he was disoriented but at the last moment, he leaned back and flipped out of range.

He slid across the ground, coming to a stop a few feet away. As he lifted his head, the scarf covering his face fell apart from the slash. Xiang's eyes grew wide as his body grew numb from the shock. "I-It can't be… Sheng…"

"Don't be so surprised, Xiang."

"You should be dead. I saw it myself."

"Things are always more than they appear. It's true you shot me that day and I would have died, but I didn't. You see… when you left, people were sent in to take away the corpses. What they didn't expect was that one was still alive."

"The report from then said everyone was killed except for me. How is it possible?" he questioned.

"It's all very simple. Greed and power. Did you know, Xiang? There's a reason why Arthur has been with you all this time. You see, out of the five that selected the children, only he was kept in the program because he was the one who found you. The rest were banned from the project. They played a game for that position with our lives you know."

Xiang tightened his fist, "You still haven't told me how you lived."

"Well if you want the short answer, I was rushed to be given medical aid. As to how I've lived up till now, those four that were banned from the project started their own and with me as the sole tool. I was kept under strict protocol and training. I was given a few missions in my time but they held even stricter conditions than your own. I was not allowed to be seen by anyone. My presence had to be unknown. As far as anyone else knew, I died that day you shot me."

"Why are you here now? Of all times."

"Like it matters… in one of my darkest moments, hope in the form of a flower showed itself."

Xiang raised an eyebrow in confusion. "So the Organization sent you."

"You are very wrong there. Much like you have, I've left the business. I made sure to destroy the four who raised me and any evidence to that project. But there's one last thing I had to do. I had to see what happened to you. And much like before, I have something that still needs to be done."

"Revenge…?"

He shook his head. "No. I need to see for myself how strong your bonds are. You've gotten stronger Xiang, despite being so injured. But you can't beat me."

Sheng raised his arm and pulled up his sleeves, revealing something wrapped around his wrist. Slowly, he unclipped the band and it fell to the ground with a sharp cling. He repeated the process with his other arm before going down to his ankles and removed more bands. "I've been wearing these the entire time. Weights."

Xiang eyed the fallen bands and quickly raised his blade, ready to defend himself if need be. He knew that he was fighting Sheng at his limit and they were both equally matched but that was with the handicap. The tide of battle would certainly change now.

In a blinding flash, Sheng slammed his sword down on Xiang. The Cantonese teen grinded his teeth together, desperately trying to push back but the force and speed were even greater apart from his. With a final shove, Xiang managed to push him away but he came straight back with just as much force as before. All Xiang could do was try parrying the slashes toward his body as he was driven back.

When his spine ran into the wall behind him, Xiang knew he was trapped. Before Sheng could make a fatal blow, gun shots were fired toward him. Sheng quickly changed his focus and dodged the bullets, stepping away from Xiang. The assassin took the chance and threw out a smoke bomb. He knew that fighting against both of them would be suicide and from the growing sound of sirens outside, the police were getting close. He ran over to Mei, taking her hand and leading her out of the complex. The moment they escaped the cloud of smoke, they ran to the car and drove away just as the police arrived. A wave of guilt hit Xiang as he looked at the shrinking scene as he drove away. But it was for the police force.

* * *

><p>Sheng stared blankly to the outside as the smoke finally cleared. Jasmine waltzed over, coughing slightly from the fumes. "They escaped," she noted.<p>

"He's grown… and he found it…"

"I'm glad you learned that," she smiled. "We have to get out."

"The bond still must be tested though. And I don't think we can escape in one piece. Do you hear how many cops are out there?"

"Maybe there's another way we can use…"

"No," he interrupted. "There isn't." He closed his eyes, "if we surrender, we can get out alive but we'll never be free again. And we'll be separated."

"I don't want that to happen…"

"Me neither. But… the only way for one of use to continue to live, the other has to be a sacrifice." Sheng turned to her, pulling her into a tight hug. "You've already done enough for me. I'll do it."

"But… what about that test?"

"I know it's selfish of me to ask but… I need you to do it."

"Sheng… You don't need to. I've done all this by my decision. To follow you, fight beside you… and to love you…"

He held her closer and more tenderly. "That's why I don't want you to do anymore than you already have. I am eternally grateful to you… and because I feel the same way… that I can't let you go."

Jasmine smiled slightly. "I'm glad that I could hear that from you… if that's the case… I'll do what I have to."

He whispered gently into her ear, "I love you… good—"

"I love you too," she interjected. "… And that's why I can't let you go."

Jasmine pulled him into a tender kiss which shocked Sheng. His widened eyes continued to last as she parted shortly, smiling. "J-Jasmine…" The girl gave a strong jab into his stomach and he began to fall to the ground, his eyes closing slowly. "N-No…"

"They only need one…" After Sheng passed out, the girl shifted his body behind some of the cars to hide him.

Reluctantly, she turned away, giving one last apologetic gaze before turning her attention to the police outside. Taking a deep breath, she walked steadily outside and the guards armed themselves, ready to shoot her. Tightening her fist, she knew she had to give enough time for Sheng to wake up which wouldn't be long with his physic but she needed to convince them all that she was the only threat. Which was more than enough.

The cops shouted at her to stop and put her hands up. She began to follow their orders, only to whip out her guns and begin to shoot. The men and women dived out of the way to avoid the shells but the ones that weren't in the line of fire returned the shots. Jasmine ran to the side, dodging the initial assault but she knew it wasn't going to last much longer.

Her time ran out as one of the bullets ripped through her shoulder. The barrage of lead continued to pass through her body, her entire being shaken with each strike. The assault came to a startling stop and her body began to fall back. Jasmine fell with a small smile as she stared into the night sky, her life flashing before her eyes in a wave. Her vision and strength started to fade as it was drained away. Her body crashed into the ground as she continued to stare before closing her eyes. Her final thoughts of the one she loved, hoping that he would find her again with his peace of mind and that smile she adored.

* * *

><p>Xiang continued to drive towards the outskirts of the city and even further beyond it. He needed to get as far away from the city as possible for now. There was nowhere safe that he knew of but he had a small hideout that he never used but it was the only place they could go to now. When he arrived to a disclosed part of the forest, he parked the car so it was hidden behind the trees. He quickly got out of the vehicle and Mei followed swiftly and they went into the small cabin.<p>

At first appearances, it wasn't much. The wooden abode looked like a gardening shed, unnoticeable to the naked eye. If they didn't know what they were looking for the cabin would have passed their sights altogether. The moment they entered the small hideout, Mei raised an eyebrow in curiosity. The place was as normal as can be. There was a desk at the corner of the room with a bookcase and to the other side of the room a couch rested. Mei glanced around; trying to find any sign of weapons or technology but it was all plain.

"Are we in the wrong place?" she asked.

Xiang seemed pleased with her response but he quickly changed his attention to the carpet. Mei watched curiously as Xiang rolled it up and revealed a small trapdoor. He motioned for her to follow and she was the first to go down the ladder. After a few seconds in the dark hole, her feet touched the ground and she stepped to the side to make room for Xiang. After he closed the trapdoor and locked it, he followed down and began to rummage for a switch. He found it soon enough and the entire place lit up.

The light revealed a storage of various weapons, supplies and things Mei never saw before. Xiang quickly moved over to one of the spaces, taking out a blade for Mei and heavier assault rifles. He then took out a second sword for himself, adding it to the one he already had. Mei knew that it was to try and level the playing field against Sheng. If he couldn't beat him at speed or strength, he had to use technique and skill.

"Xiang… are you sure about this?"

"We have to be ready to fight, Mei."

"But… he's your old friend right? It must be hard—"

"It won't be, Mei. He… was my friend. But that's changed and now he's out to kill us."

"Don't lie to me, Xiang. This isn't going to be easy for you if he brings up so many memories."

"He betrayed me!" he snapped. "What kind of friend would take your trust and crush it before your very eyes. He's no longer my friend, Mei. He threatened our lives. That's more than enough of a reason for me to take him out before he does it to us."

"Xiang listen to me right now. If you let your rage control your thoughts, you'll be charging blindly at him like a wild beast." She moved closer to him, placing a comforting hand on his. "If you do what you're planning to do, it'll just be repeating the past. You're older now and with more experience than all those years ago, use that experience."

Xiang stared down at her, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "It's hard to let go of something like that…"

"You don't have to. You just have to control it and learn. If you do something like that again, you can't take it back."

"But Mei… we both know that he's going to try and kill us. I won't fight with anger but conflict can't be avoided."

Mei looked sadly into their hands. "I know… I'm glad that you'll be able to control yourself because I don't want you to lose yourself to anger."

"I'm sorry it has to come to this…" he said, holding her closely. "I just wish we could live together in peace… soon."

"When that day comes, it'll be one of the most joyous moments in my life," she smiled.

He kissed her forehead lightly and pulled back. "Let's hope we can live another day then."

The both of them made sure their new equipment was hooked tightly and easily accessible before climbing the ladder to the surface. Once they were inside the small cabin, Xiang hid the secret compartment and made it look as if they were never there in the first place. Now that their path was wiped clean, the two went outside and the cold of the night quickly kissed their warm skin.

"It took you two long enough." Xiang and Mei quickly turned their attention over toward their car and saw Sheng quietly sitting on top of the hood. "I knew I'd be a bit late… do you know what it's like to carry a lifeless body, Xiang? Probably not. It seems like a dream at first but reality is harsh and it's… expected. Aside from that, I was beginning to think you two would stay in there forever."

Xiang cursed under his breath as he reached for his gun. "How did you find us?"

"You didn't think I would plant a tracker when I arrived at the parking lot back then didn't you?"

The guy was prepared, Xiang would give him that much. "This ends today, Sheng."

"We'll see…"

Sheng leaped off from the car and came charging toward the two. Xiang dashed off and whipped out his twin swords and the enemy's blade came crashing against the other. The contact was short as they brushed past each other and continued to exchange swing for swing. Despite Xiang managing to block Sheng's swift moves, it wasn't enough to follow protect himself from the sheer force of each attack. As Xiang was shoved back, Sheng saw an opening and made a thrust toward his vitals. Before the tip even touched him, another sword came swinging down and Sheng turned to see Mei with a fierce expression as she forced the blade down.

Pulling back, Sheng managed to escape Mei's attack but from his side, Xiang came charging in and aiming to cut him down. Sheng was completely surprised at the duo's tag team strategy and it was working far too well as he was the one being cornered. He changed his tactics and started to focus solely on Mei. He knew that Xiang was formidable and that's why he aimed to take out the weakest link.

Initiating his plan, Sheng began to focus on Mei as he assaulted her with slashes. The girl could barely keep up with the fast pace attacks and Xiang tried to attack Sheng but his moves were thwarted as they were all dodged. He didn't want to be wasting energy deflecting Xiang's attacks so instead he simply dodged the attacks as he continued to bash at Mei. The girl was starting to feel the effects of the attacks as she slowed and her breathing became harder.

Sheng made a quick thrust toward the girl but something unexpected happened. Mei changed the direction of her blade and when they came in contacts, the hilts became locked as both of them tried gaining superiority over the other. In that moment, Xiang came in and hacked at Sheng. Before the steel touched him, Sheng released his blade and dodged the strike but it was all for nothing.

Where Xiang faltered, Mei came back and slashed Sheng across his body. Time seemed to slow down as a wave of crimson covered his vision. Even as he tried to retaliate, Xiang gave the final blow as he ran his blade through him chest. Xiang pulled the sword out of his body and watched as he collapsed to the ground as he coughed up blood.

"It's over…" he murmured. As Xiang stared down to see Sheng's face, he was surprised to see a small smile resting on it. At that moment, he remembered from those years ago, something he thought was just his imagination was revealed again. "Why…?"

Sheng looked weakly over to Xiang, "L-like I said all those years ago… the world is a cruel place. Y-you were still a kid… and in that kind of business… i-if you were to leave with your mind set back then, you wouldn't have survived long. I'm sorry Xiang… I did what I did so you could live on… I knew one day… that you'd fine your purpose. I could see that potential within you…"

"We all have it…" Xiang whispered. "It just depends on who you're connected to… you know that just as well as I do."

Sheng's eyes widened slightly and he closed them, chuckling slightly. "I guess you're right… go Xiang… live… I've been keeping someone waiting for longer than I should have…"

Xiang closed his eyes and went over to Mei. He gave her a quick hug before they started to go back to their car. "Farewell…" he murmured.

Smiling, Sheng's breathing became slower and slower. He believed he could rest easy now. His task complete, and with no regrets, he passed on. Knowing that his friend's journey was coming to an end so that he could begin a more peaceful one.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:I don't own Hetalia or the characters. Just the plot and story<strong>

**A/n: Hey guys :D Another update has arrived and almost all loose ends of Xiang's life are tied up and resolved. Almost. Mei proves herself to be a capable partner to Xiang in all aspects here :) Okay will I really don't know what else to say besides thank you to my dear readers and reviewers for staying with this story for so long. Truly, thank you. Prepare yourselves for the final chapter on the next update and then maybe a little surprise afterwards if you can handle it ;) Until the next update, see you guys.**


	26. Chapter 26: Sempiternal Love

_An eternity of truth is brought to the final scenes but the ending isn't present. Even with the darkest of truths, the light rises above darkness. Love forever kept within the heart and soul._

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_Under the Light_

_**Chapter 26:**_

_**Sempiternal Love**_

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Opening his eyes, the light of the noon blinded him at first. Finally when Xiang's eyes adjusted to the light, he saw the white clouds resting on the outside of the window. When he turned his head, he smiled as he noticed Mei quietly sleeping against his shoulder. When he looked ahead, he saw Yao and Arthur up and reading their own magazines or papers. Xiang wanted this moment to stay the way it was. Peaceful.

Arthur had finally managed to set their destination for a new place to live. They were all packed and ready to go. The larger things were sent on a different flight to their new home. While anything personal was kept with them. Xiang was slightly heartbroken to say goodbye to his servants. They had become more than people over the years he was with them and he made sure to give them enough so they wouldn't have to worry about money for the rest of their normal life. And they in return gave a tearful farewell to him and wished him the best of luck and for happiness.

Xiang noticed Mei shifting slightly and reached over to fix her blanket and pull her closer to himself. She smiled in her slumber and nuzzled into his chest before becoming quiet again. He loved the tranquil and peaceful expression she had but more than that, he was thankful that she could still reach that peacefulness, no matter what form it took. It had been such a long journey for the both of them and her especially. To leave the life she knew for the one she wanted. It was always her choice and Xiang was happy to know that he could make her smile. He wanted to be there for her so she wouldn't have to worry about anything and to be who she was, someone dearly beloved.

Soon enough, the plane closed in on their destination and Mei awoke from her dreams. She rubbed her eyes of the sleepiness but still held onto Xiang for comfort. "Morning…" she said tiredly.

"I think you mean afternoon," he chuckled.

"You know what I meant."

"Of course. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, snuggling into his chest. "I had a nice dream and a wonderful pillow."

"Glad to be of service."

The plane's pilots announced to everyone to buckle up and prepare for landing. The aircraft came to a smooth landing and the group began to make their way out of the place. Arthur looked over his planer while scribbling down something. "Alright, we're staying here for a day or two before the next flight comes and we can head to our new home."

Xiang dragged their luggage to the hotel as the tropical breeze refreshed his senses. It was Arthur's idea to take multiple trips in order to make sure they weren't being followed by anyone and even then they couldn't be too sure. On this island would be their longest stay compared to the others and they were still cautious. Both Xiang and Arthur wished that they wouldn't have to be so cautious wherever they went, to go to somewhere without having to check over their shoulder for someone following them. But as long as the Organization still existed, that threat would remain very real.

* * *

><p>Kiku furiously began to shove the papers away as his assistant brought them to him. "Enough! I want to know the status of our tracking." The Japanese man was enraged with the fact that every single agent he sent to kill Xiang was annihilated and he knew that Francis' death wish would still be in place as long as the former assassin lived.<p>

As one of the women walked into the room, she nervously held a clipboard to her chest as she looked at Kiku. "U-um… Honda-sama?"

"Get on with it," he snapped.

"W-we've tracked Arthur's group to this island. The place is a hotspot for tourist and—"

Kiku once against slammed his fist down into his desk, silencing the girl. "I don't care about the inhabitants. Are they still there?"

"We believe so," she said quickly. When Kiku remained silent, she continued, "Which agent will we send out?"

The man glared at the profiles of the assassin and mercenaries that lined his desk. "None of them…"

"E-excuse me?"

"None of them can stand up to that assassin. He's managed to best some of my most ruthless employees… but not me. I'll make sure he reeks of despair before I give him mercy and end his pitiful existence." Kiku stood up from his seat, going over and fixing his katana that rested on his hip. "Prepare the jet to the location of the island right away. Also send in as many people as we can to the airports and shipping yards on that island. They will never leave that island… not as long as I'm still alive."

* * *

><p>Xiang roamed the empty halls of the hotel, searching for his love. When he finished placing their things in the room, he found her gone and now he was looking worriedly through the entire building for her. He already checked all the restaurants but she wasn't at any of them. Although he did find Yao scolding some of them and criticizing their cooking.<p>

The only other place he could think of looking was the place he should have searched in the first place. Wherever there was a piano, Mei was likely to be there and playing something.

When Xiang asked around the hotel, he found the one place where they had a piano. The Cantonese teen quickly walked out of the hotel and walked along the stone paved path until he was closing in on a glass patio. Surrounding the thing was a variety of different flowers and trees and at the center was Mei in a flowery white and pink dress.

As he got closer, the melody of the song she was playing reached out to him, touching his ears in a gentle caress. "Mei…?"

She stopped abruptly and turned to see him, smiling at the same time. "Xiang. I guess you found me."

"We weren't playing hide-and-seek you know."

"Not the point. The first thing I saw when we got here was this piano and I couldn't resist the urge to come over and play a few things."

"I understand." Xiang walked over to her, leaning against the glass walls as he watched.

She looked at him curiously. "Why don't you come over and play?"

"The piano is your thing," he smiled. "I rather listen either way."

She pulled out a sly smile as she reached down to her feet. "Even if you have this?" Mei lifted a case from the ground and opened it to reveal his violin. The wooden instrument was in pristine condition as the dark brown wood shined.

"You brought that…?"

"Of course I did. I've played many pianos but this is your very first violin right? I didn't want you to lose this memento."

He smiled slightly, reaching out and grasping the cool instrument's neck and lifting it from the case. He held the violin carefully with the skill that he developed while learning to play it. He remembered the days well. At first he was trying to learn to prove Mei wrong but as he played the instrument more and more, he found himself connecting to it and having a gentle way to express himself. It was painful to learn and hard work to be sure but even though he wasn't perfect, it was his way. That expression of himself led Mei right to him and it was the sound that linked them to one another from that day forward.

"Thanks… This violin holds a lot of memories."

She smiled brightly and turned around to the piano. "How about we play together again? Just like old times."

"It would be my pleasure."

Xiang assumed his stance and held the violin under his jaw as the bow hovered over the strings. He played a few notes, checking to make sure it was tuned. It was perfect.

The song started with Mei's gentle melody, slowly and steadily climbing in intensity. Xiang waited until he heard the perfect moment and allowed his playing to flow directly into hers with each stroke. Their playing melded in with each other, forming a unity that was unique. Slowly, the song's gentle tune changed into something more, something that burned within the both of them. But that flame was controlled and glowed within their hearts and was heard through their playing.

Their duet was a spectacular display of skill and passion but something rested deeper within it. In their own world, their duet was a symphony of sounds and emotions that struck deep within the chords of their mind and soul. Deeper than they ever dared to reach but once the invisible barrier was broken, they held nothing back as their lives were unfolded into their music. The peaceful start of their lives underwent a startling transformation as they experienced more of life's gifts and curses. The harsh reality being worn away as their dreams replaced them and the point they reached. But even further beyond that was a simple wish that they knew would come true. A light that illuminated any night and expanded as it overtook the concealed blackness.

Once their piece ended, both of them opened their eyes and turned to the other. What they saw shocked both of them. Gentle tears ran down both of their cheeks and the leaned into each other and smiled. Unable to contain their joy as their unity showed itself in their world and through the thing that reached deeper than any words could express.

When the sun finally fell, they were forced to return back to the hotel but with smiles on their faces while hand-in-hand. Their happiness glowed and they didn't feel the effects of the night that covered them.

Something seemed to shatter when they saw Arthur running at full speed toward them with a dire expression on his face. "Xiang! Mei! We have a problem!"

"Arthur? What's wrong?" Mei asked.

"It's the Organization. They're here!"

Mei gasped and Xiang's eyes turned serious. "H-how?" he uttered.

"They must've tracked us but either way we're in trouble. I've checked and members of the Organization are surrounding the island, cutting all exit points to the place. There's no escape."

"No," Xiang cursed. "We were so close…"

"There's more. When I was walking in town, they found me. I tried to escape but I was surrounded before I even knew it. Yet they didn't attack me. Instead they gave me this letter to give to you."

"Read it."

Arthur nodded, opening the letter and taking it out. "Xiang Gang Kirkland, it's time we've settled our grudges against one another. We'll meet at the edge of the island inside the forest. If you don't attend then my men will slaughter the island residents until we do find you. Signed, Honda Kiku."

Xiang tightened his fist as he stared down to the floor. "How dare he bring in innocent lives…?"

"Well obviously we can't let you go," Arthur exclaimed. "You and I both know it's a trap and if you do, there's no guarantee you'll make it out alive. Forget the meeting, Xiang. We'll find another way to escape the island."

"But what about the people?" Mei asked.

"She's right. We can't leave them. It's my fault they're in this situation. No one should sacrifice their life for mine without a choice."

"Xiang… I know you want to save them but we can't take on their forces. It's suicide."

"Better one dies than hundreds."

"You can't do this!" Mei exclaimed. "I can't lose you."

"I won't die, Mei. But this does have to end. If not, we can never have the life we want. It's now or never."

"The risks…"

"Are great, I know. But look at our circumstances. There's no other choice. We could try and end this now or run in fear for the rest of our lives."

"Can't you at least think about it for the night?"

Xiang sighed. He knew she was trying to buy time to think of a better argument but he knew she wouldn't find one. And she knew it herself. But the look on her face, it would break his heart to see it get any worse. "Alright…"

The both of them returned to their room. The feeling of losing everything within a moment was overwhelming for the both of them but they had to be strong. As they lay together in the comfort of their bed, the tension between them only grew. Xiang tried his best to alleviate it but he was feeling anxious and nervous himself. The Organization wasn't going to leave with nothing again and both parties were betting everything.

"Xiang…" Mei whispered.

"Yes…?"

"Do you really want to go…?"

"I don't want to go but I have to."

"I get that and you know that I'll support you but you have to understand that with these greater risks, I can't help but be worried for you. I love you too much to lose you."

"I know… but I'll do my very best to make sure I come back to you without fail."

"I'm not ready to lose you. And I never will be. I never once thought that you were at any risk because… you reassured me… but now, we both know the stakes are high."

"Mei… you're my world and my love and I will do anything to keep you alive and well. This is why I have to do this. You'll still be threatened even if I'm gone. I don't want that. So no matter what happens, I will end the Organization here and I'll do my very best to come back to you."

"Okay… I'm still against this but… it's your decision. I'll support you."

Xiang nodded to her and moved to get out of bed. Before he could leave however, Mei pulled him into a deep kiss, making sure he knew how much she loved him as if this would be their last moment together. He returned the passion, holding her closely and never wanting to let go. When they parted, Xiang gave a sorrowful gaze before grabbing his gear and leaving.

* * *

><p>Kiku stood alone in the thickness of the forest as he waited. The Japanese man stood with a refined and noble look yet the quiet stature concealed a fierce warrior. He was a patient man but he couldn't help but feel anxious to end things. His entire being demanded it. As the bushes were brushed and he could hear rummaging, he knew he was close.<p>

Just on cue, Xiang stepped out of the darkness, his eyes focused on the lone figure he saw. "Xiang… meeting just like old times."

"Where are your men?" he demanded.

"I don't need them to fight my battles. I'm more than enough to take you down. This meeting will spell your demise."

"This will be last time we meet," Xiang announced.

"I couldn't agree with you anymore. I'll fill you with despair before you accept your bounded fate."

"People challenge destiny and chose their own fates. I won't be bound to what you say my life is. Your world may be shrouded in darkness but I'll make sure to pierce that cover until that darkness falls."

"Pretty words for someone who's going to die."

"I've taken down all your men before and you'll be no different."

"Do you really think I'm as weak as they are? Do you know why I'm the leader of the Organization? Fear and power. I rule them and people are likewise subjugated to my whims. I'll make sure you have a taste of this god-like terror and strength."

"We'll see about that."

Xiang quickly took out his gun and shot at the Japanese man. In a flash, Kiku's katana was out but he remained where he stood. The only things that seemed real were the sharp clangs that signaled lead hitting steel. Xiang fired out a few more bullets, this time keeping his eyes focused. This time he saw what happened and he couldn't believe it.

Kiku moved at a blinding speed and easily deflected the shells without even breaking a sweat. And there was a reason why he didn't move yet. He wanted Xiang to know his capabilities. All the more to learn how powerless he was against his skills. The man raised his blade and took a different stance and Xiang knew the assault was approaching.

The ground seemed to be crushed as Kiku dashed off straight toward Xiang. His katana glided and cut through the air with ease and the arc nearly sliced Xiang in half. The assassin managed to duck under the blow before it reached him but Kiku was still fast. The onslaught continued and Xiang had to rely on his body's natural instinct to read attacks approaching him but it wasn't nearly enough to anticipate and counter him.

Kiku was on another whole level compared to the ones he fought before. He was a sword master and he deserved the title. He embodied it. The calm and focus on his face wasn't like anything Xiang had ever seen and he knew all that concentration only added to how terrifying he was. Xiang knew there was no way he could win by physical combat alone. He needed to do something.

Xiang quickly threw out a smoke bomb, trying to obscure at least one of his senses. But with each step he made, Kiku seemed to know exactly where he was and aimed to slice him in half. He realized all of Kiku's senses were sharpened to such an extent that he didn't need his sight. It was almost too horrifying to believe it but Xiang didn't have anything else with him to use. If he had a full arsenal, he would have brought something to paralyze his hearing as well but he didn't.

He had one explosive but with Kiku's abilities, he would easily dodge it or worse knock it back to him. Nothing he had would be of any use so he would have to use something far more natural. Xiang backed up against one of the trees and waited and just as he saw Kiku approaching him, he ducked and saw the blade stuck inside the tree's trunk. Quickly, Xiang slammed his foot into Kiku's stomach and knocked him back. While he was stunned, Xiang took out his gun and shot at him. The first few were blocked but the last made it to its targeted shoulder.

Kiku cringed from the pain but he didn't let it break his concentration as he attacked Xiang again. It was different however. Xiang could see his movements and react accordingly to block it. His strength was still supreme but now Xiang wasn't fighting blindly.

The two started to exchange blows but even with the disadvantage, Kiku continued to push Xiang back. Soon enough the two were out of the forest and in more rocky terrain. With the sound of the splashing ocean, Xiang knew Kiku was driving him to the cliff so he had nowhere to run. His planned worked as he was trapped on the stone slab that led to the sea.

Xiang needed a decisive blow before he got anymore tired. He only saw one solution and he had to take it. He watched as Kiku lunged forward with his blade but instead of dodging it, Xiang took the blade as it ran through his side. He bit down the pain and used the chance to try and strike Kiku. But to his horror, the Japanese man raised the hilt of his blade and blocked Xiang.

Kiku pulled his blade from Xiang as the Asian staggered back, clutching his bleeding side. "It's over," he stated.

He knew it too. The last chance he had at killing him was gone and with his new injury, there was no way he could keep up with Kiku. But he still had the bomb and he would take out Kiku even if he had to take himself out in the process.

As the Japanese man came in for another strike, a cry made them stop. Xiang looked over the man's shoulder and his eyes widened at the sight he saw. Mei.

"Xiang!" she cried. Xiang knew she had to of followed him and from the sounds in the back, he could hear she brought Yao and Arthur too.

Kiku stopped his advance and smirked as he pulled back. "Your despair can be perfect now."

"No!" Xiang screamed.

As Kiku turned around to see Mei, Xiang quickly whipped out his grenade and pulled the pin as he tossed it toward the man. Kiku looked around to fight back when he heard the pin but saw the bomb fly over his head and land a few feet behind him. Before he could do anything, the grenade erupted with shrapnel and flames as it blew apart the ground it hit.

The cliff immediately started to shake and crumble as the support was now blown away. As the ground rumbled, Xiang quickly dashed toward the Japanese man and tackled him to the ground while he was distracted by the cliff's destruction. The ground broke apart right under them and the massive slabs of stone gave way as they began to fall to the ocean.

Kiku managed to get Xiang off but that was the assassin's plan as he rolled over and onto a more stable piece of stone as the one Kiku stood on was reduced to rubble. Without his balance, Xiang took out his sword and threw it forward as it impaled the man directly into his chest.

Xiang panted, "It is over. And you lost."

The man's screams continued to be heard until he splashed into the waters below but even though a great relief befell him that was the least of Xiang's concerns. The teen made a dead run for stable ground but the cracks were faster than him. As the ground began to disappear, Xiang made one final leap for the edge and missed by an inch.

But he didn't fall.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Mei desperately holding onto his hand. "H-hold on Xiang…"

Before they Mei's grip loosened, Yao and Arthur appeared and together they pulled Xiang up. The teen lied against the stone, panting as his breaths became shorter and his energy began to leave him. The last thing he could hear was Mei's sweet voice.

* * *

><p>Xiang slowly opened his eyes, seeing the darkness of the room covering his sight. Dimly, he could see a familiar figure lying next to him, breathing softly as she slept. When he shifted slightly, he realized Mei's arms were wrapped snuggly around his neck. If he hadn't have moved, he would have sworn their position was completely natural and in a way it was. Neither wanted to be parted from the other but they were so close, their silent breathing completely in sync with the rhythm of their connected hearts.<p>

Ever so gently, Xiang moved one of his hands from her waist and brushed some stray hairs covering Mei's sleeping face. To his surprise, the gentle action made her awaken, smiling softly as she stared into his face. Mei leaned forward and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"You're okay…" she said softly and contently.

"Of course I am…" he responded. "What happened after I passed out?"

"Arthur and Yao helped me get you here. Arthur checked the island for any remnants of the Organization but they all left once they saw their boss gone. We cleaned you up and treated your injuries. Then we took you to bed… but during the entire time… you never stopped holding me." Even though it was dark, Xiang could feel the sudden rise in heat from her cheeks.

"I see…" Xiang could feel his own blush developing. "I never want to let you go, Mei."

The girl snuggled into his chest even more. "I'm perfectly fine with that."

"It's finally over…" Xiang rested his head against hers for a moment when he remembered something. "Hey Mei."

"Hm?"

"I want to see something with you."

"What would that be?"

"You'll see." Xiang rose from the bed along with Mei.

The two silently walked out of the house and Xiang skillfully navigated the darkness outside, the familiarity of it a distant memory that he didn't mind letting slip away. For the entire time, Mei held onto Xiang's arm and curiously looked around the area. She could feel the change in elevation as the two walked up a small hill. Reaching the peak of the mound of earth, Xiang and Mei sat down on the grass. The slightly damp turf from the night's dew kept them alert.

Mei hugged Xiang and leaned her head against his shoulder. "You wanted to show me the sky?"

"No," he laughed. "Just wait a few minutes."

Mei giggled along with him. "Alright."

As the two held each other closely, the sun rise's gentle rays blanketed them. Xiang leaned his head onto hers as she fit hers on his shoulder. It was at that moment the two realized something. Something completely irreplaceable to them. Something that forever changed the essence of their being.

The resonance that continued to echo within Mei's heart and mind was her Xiang. The sounds of his synchronized heart beat along with his soft breathing were things she held close to her soul. And the only thing that could possibly surpass them was his beloved voice as he softly spoke her name. His unforgettable voice was the sound of her life.

The radiance of the sun's light illuminated their world. But his light was cast by something else. Something that was able to warm his cold being and something brighter than the burning sun. His Mei. Her bright smile and shining eyes were a gift from the heavens. Only a few of the things he could say about her would do justice. She was his light, his sun. And with that unending love, his endless night was fulfilled and dawned and now a new life could begin.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: *deep breath* Perhaps the last time :') I don't own Hetalia or the characters. Just the story and plot<strong>

**A/n: Here it is, the final chapter of Under the Light. Truly has been a wonderful journey writing this thing and I certainly hope you guys enjoyed the ending. The final battle with Kiku was destined, right? And hope you caught some little references I made throughout the chapter. Thank you to my dear readers and reviewers. I sincerely thank you and hope you enjoyed it and were satisfied with the ending. **

**Because frankly, I'm not lol. Technically this is /not/ the final chapter in a sense. An epilogue has been written and I could easily upload it right now but just to make sure you guys have been reading, there's a little game that must be won to see it. Also I've been planning this from the very beginning so I'm not pulling this out of nowhere. Everything that I've written has been carefully planned out. **

**so here's the game and hint. Just answer in a simple review. Tell me the secret message that I've left throughout the entire story. The hint is the beginning of the titles. It is not a huge phrase but five simple words. Hope you guys can catch the message and I've edited the little select thing on the top right just to help you guys out so you can see all the titles at once. Again good luck. If this is the last time I speak for this story, again thank you so very much for continuing to read this story.**


	27. Epilogue

_A hope that was faded into a dream, a single wish enduring and brightening deep within the soul until that dream shatters to reveal a new world to shining eyes_

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_Under the Light_

_**Epilogue**_

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_One year later_

The sound of the television blew softly through the pearl white living room. The sound of shuffling feet and flipping pages were the only other sounds in the home. The feet coming from a bustling kitchen and the flipping pages coming from a newspaper. The black and white print was constantly being turned until finally it was folded back up into its neat form and laid out on the Englishman's lap.

He sighed contently, picking up his cup of tea and sipping the steaming liquid. As he set his cup back onto the table next to him, a figure came over and sat down on the arm rest. The Brit looked over and smiled at the other male, pulling him onto his lap. "Hey there."

"Hello to you too ~aru. What are you reading?"

"The usual, checking on the news back at the old home."

"Do you really need to do that? I'm sure no one is looking for us anymore ~aru."

"I know but it's become a habit. But there is one thing that caught my attention."

"What would that be? ~aru"

"The police force finally found a permanent chief. Actually two."

"Really? Whom?"

"The brother duo of Alfred Jones and Matthew Williams."

"Oh I think I remember hearing about them before ~aru."

"Yeah. The two work fast. Crime rate has dropped instantly when they were appointed. They worked with a spy in one of the old organizations. I believe his name was Gilbert last time I checked. He gave a lot of useful information. I'm glad some order has been restored to that town"

"It was our old home ~aru."

"True," he answered, leaning back into his chair. "You know Yao… even if it was our old town, I don't think we need it anymore."

"Because a home isn't a home without family, right? ~aru"

"You read my mind," he answered.

"I just know you well, Arthur."

Arthur chuckled slightly and gave a quick kiss to the Chinese man's cheek. "I'm pretty sure it's more than that."

He blushed slightly and smiled. "Right. But I am looking forward to having a new brother ~aru."

"Oh right, I forgot. Has he popped the question yet?"

"No he hasn't. But he hinted to me that it was going to be tonight. That's why he took her out, I presume ~aru."

"It's about time. That boy can be so unpredictable when it comes to her."

"Isn't that something she loves about him?" he chuckled.

"I guess so. Well the night is perfect. Let's just see if the two love birds come back with a shiny little rock on one of their fingers."

* * *

><p>The night air was calm. Not even a breeze blew past the blossoming flowers and trees. The sky wasn't the same however. True the clouds were out of sight but the cloudless night was filled to the brim with twinkling stars. Under the light of the stars, a couple sat together, staring up into the heavens. Despite the chilly night, the two didn't feel its effects. Rather, the warmth alone from the other's body kept them relaxed and cozy against the other. Aside from the thin bundle of clothes that kept them warm and close, a single scarf was wrapped around both of their necks, bringing them ever so close.<p>

After a few minutes, the girl pointed toward the sky, a bright smile appearing on her face. "Xiang, look. There's the first one."

"I see it," he answered. Within seconds, dozens of stars and lights came flying across the sky in a brilliant array of streams.

"It's so rare to be able to see a meteor shower."

"I wanted to be able to see this with you, Mei."

"I'm glad I could see this with you," she replied, leaning her head into his shoulder.

"Mei… there's something I need to ask you…" he said, his heartbeat suddenly starting to speed up.

"Hm?" The girl lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him, brushing her long brown hair from her eyes. "What is it?"

Xiang sat up, lifting the girl to her feet but he didn't let go of her. He shifted his hands to hold hers, smoothing his palms over her warm skin. "I don't know how to say this…"

"Just tell me," she asked softly. "You always know what to say."

"Not this time…" he said honestly. "But like always, I'm going to do what my heart tells me."

He tightened his grip on her hands, not hard enough to hurt her but he held them firmly and stared lovingly right into her eyes. "Xiang…?"

Xiang took a deep breath, closing his eyes and collecting his thoughts. After a moment, he opened them, a glimmer of light staying in his eyes as he stared at her. Mei didn't know if it was from the meteor shower hovering right over their heads or the mirror image of the moon or even the reflection from her own eyes but Xiang's held something different. A promise. A vow that seemed to illuminate his entire being.

"Mei… we've been through so much together. And in that time, I've come to love you like nothing in my entire life. You've become my life."

"I love you too, Xiang… You're my world," she said gently.

"And not only that, we've connected in a way that happens only once in a lifetime. Created an eternal bond that can never be broken, that resonates inside my heart whenever I'm with you. The way you've become my sun that lights the night."

"The way you've become my inspiration that resounds through my world…" Mei continued softly.

"Now at this time, I've decided. And a while back, I was always thinking about it… I can't bear to ever be away from you. I love you with my entire being. And I don't want to wake up and think that this is just some far of dream or an illusion created by the heart."

Mei smiled softly and moved both of their hands to the center of her chest. "The proof of our reality is in our hearts, Xiang. You know that."

"I know. But I want us to be connected in a different way…" Xiang took another deep breath and held her hands firmly as he got onto one of his knees. Mei's eyes instantly became wide as she saw him do this. She knew she wasn't imagining this but it almost seemed like that. "Mei… I want us to continue to live together. But not just as friends or lovers. I want an eternity with you by my side. And me next to yours." Slowly he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small black box and opened it, making Mei gasp.

Inside the little cube was a brilliant white diamond ring that sparkled from the stars and cascaded the light into tiny sparks. It wasn't incredibly flashy, it was perfect, and a small symbol of the love he felt for her. "Mei Mei Wang, will you marry me?"

Mei lifted one of her hands to cover her mouth as gentle tears began to run from her eyes. Without any warning, Mei dropped to her knees and pulled Xiang into a hug and a passionate kiss. In that swift connection, she let him know her feelings but to make sure nothing was misheard, she pulled back and cleared her voice. "Of course I'll marry you."

Xiang didn't say anything as an unbelievable happiness spread throughout his body and beads of that joy emerged from his eyes. He quickly pulled her into a hug and kissed her lovingly, feeling her return the same feelings as she kissed him back.

Nothing in the entire world mattered to them except that moment right then and there as they held each other, and loved each other. Slowly they pulled back but rested their foreheads against the other, their eyes closed as tears of joy overwhelmed them. After a moment, the tears were whipped away but their happiness only grew with each passing second. Slowly, both of them opened their mouths and told the other three words that were truly sincere. And that would never change, even if their life were to come to a stop because even if that happened, they would make sure the other remembered it.

"I love you," they said in unison.

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><p>The sun rested high in the sky as the bright rays shined down onto the resort. Anticipation and anxiousness filled the atmosphere of the building but it wasn't without explanation. That holy day had finally arrived and the event drove a symphony of conflicting emotions into two individuals. Happiness and joy were tangled with that aching tension and longing.<p>

Within the resort, Mei sat in her dressing room, clutching her stomach as other girls were helping her get ready. She could feel the anxiousness making her sick as it tied her stomach in a variety of knots. She was hoping everything went exactly as planned but she expected mistakes to be made no matter how small or big they were. And that terrified her. She desperately wanted to see Xiang so he could comfort her but she wouldn't be seeing him until the ceremony started. And by then there would be no turning back.

As torturing as this all was, she wouldn't have it any other way.

She had been dreaming of this day for the longest time and now that it was right in front of her eyes, she was overjoyed to see come closer and closer. Now it was within her grasps and she couldn't be any happier.

"M-Mei… you need to calm down ~aru," Yao said.

"I am calm. What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Y-you're crushing my arm… ~aru"

Mei looked down and saw her gripping onto her brother's arm. Instead of letting go, she only tightened her grasp. "Can you blame me…?" she asked nervously.

"I u-understand but me losing an arm won't make the nervousness go away ~aru," he cried.

She released his arm and he rubbed it gingerly. "Sorry… what if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong ~aru" he said gently. "Your future husband is waiting for you and he loves you with his life. Nothing I say will make you doubt that truth and you know it too. Just take a deep breath and calm yourself."

Mei smiled lightly, hugging him. "Xie xie Yao-ge. You tell me to calm down but how come you won't?"

"What are you talking about? ~aru"

"You're crying," she said softly.

Yao looked up to the mirror in the room and he found the small beads rolling down his cheeks. He pulled back slightly, whipping away the tears. "W-well what do you expect! My little sister is getting married. I'm so happy for you ~aru," he smiled. "You've grown up into a fine woman. Xiang is lucky to have you. If there's anyone I can trust you to be with, it's him."

She hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest. "You have no idea what it means to hear that from you."

"I can't hold onto you forever…" he said sadly. "You have your own life and you blossomed before I knew it. And looking back… I have absolutely no regrets."

"You've grown too, Yao-ge. You have Arthur to keep you company when I'm gone," she grinned.

Yao blushed slightly, pulling back and fixing his tie. "Right," he smiled.

One of the girls poked her head through the door and told them that it was time. Mei took a deep breath and stood up, taking one last moment to check her appearance. She prayed that Xiang would like it. Yao offered his arm and Mei hooked hers with his and they made their way out.

The moment Mei and Yao stepped out into the lush green grass, the music began to play. The gentle melody that traveled through the air was personally played by both her and Xiang. The song brought tears to their eyes when they wrote it and now to hear it on such a special day, Mei could barely control herself. But she stayed strong, taking deep breaths as she walked along the rose petal walkway.

As she looked up, she saw the sparkling blue ocean that rested beyond the cliff. The thousands of lights that reflected off of the water didn't even compare to the white arch that created a gate toward the sea. Standing to the side of that arch was her dearest fiancé. Mei couldn't help but stare in awe at the sight.

Xiang was standing tall in his sleek black tuxedo. The expression on his face was what made him the star in her eyes. It was the look of pride, joy and anxiousness that filled his eyes and smile. She relaxed a bit, knowing that he was feeling the same way she was and that he could share in her flood of emotions. But above all else, love glowed within his presence.

Likewise, Xiang's jaw nearly dropped when he saw Mei. An unbelievable beauty radiated from her as she was clothed in pure white. It seemed as though she took the form of an angel as she made her way down the walkway. Even with his admiration for her, it couldn't compare to the affection that he felt and that she showed.

A hand found a place on his shoulder and he glanced over and saw Arthur reassuring him with a smile. From the look in his eyes, he could see how happy he was for him and that meant a lot to Xiang. As he pulled his hand back, Xiang returned his full attention to Mei who slowly closed the distance with Yao.

Soon enough, Mei stood across from Xiang. That small distance seemed liked an ocean long ago but now it was nothing in comparison to what they've gone through. Yao gave one last hug to his sister before he went over to sit down.

The priest took a moment to clear his voice and in a strong and loud voice he spoke. The beginning ritual of their eternal vow came from him and with each word spoken; it drew them closer and closer to that moment. With the last words before their part, the priest motioned for Xiang to continue where he left off. With his vow.

The words he chose would be imprinted onto his being for the rest of his life. And he wouldn't have it any other way. The vow he created was made from the purest feelings he felt.

"I, Xiang Gang Kirkland, take you to be my dearest wife. I promise to always be forever by your side, to be there for you when hardships may come or when the most joyous moments appear. No matter the reason I will be there to support you and walk forward into this life with you. Mei, I love you."

Mei had to hold back the tears she felt creeping up behind her eyes. She took a deep breath, remembering her vow. The one she made with the experiences that she had and shared with him.

"Today, I, Mei Mei Wang join my life to yours, not merely as your wife but as your friend, your lover, and your confidant. Let me be the shoulder you lean on, the light that illuminates your darkest moments, the companion of your life. With you I will walk my path from this day forward. Xiang, I love you."

In those exchanges of words, a new beginning was written. As the priest gave his final parts, pronouncing them husband and wife, all went quiet as Xiang and Mei slowly leaned in to seal their marriage. In a swift motion, the two pressed their lips together, passionately kissing and embracing the other. The kiss wasn't just the sealing of their vows and marriage; it was the start to a new journey. A journey together.

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><p>Panic and chaos ensued as Mei was being rolled off to the delivery room. Xiang rushed to stay by her side, holding her hand gently and giving her a reassuring smile as they entered the room. She gave a weak smile in return before she cried out in pain. Squeezing her hand gently, the doctors quickly prepared themselves and made Xiang slip into scrubs as well.<p>

Mei clutched her eyes, tightening her grasp on Xiang to a death grip. He ignored and bared with the pain either way, it was small in comparison to the pain she was going through right now. He prayed that she would remain healthy and that the children would be in great condition as well.

The agony that she suffered through was combined with her screams for a very horrible experience. But at the end of the distress, a wave of satisfying relief washed over her as her breathing finally calmed. Her cries were replaced with the sounds of two other wailing babies.

A few minutes passed as Mei lay in her bed while Xiang helped clean her sweat from the intensive labor. The task trained her of all her energy but she rested, trying to regain anything she could for the next step. Xiang kissed her forehead gently before moving over to the doctors and nurses to see the kids. She tried to look past them to see them but the group of people were far too concealing.

After a few more minutes, Mei was becoming more impatient with the wait. But Xiang soon reached an agreement with the doctors and they handed him two little bundles for his arms. He handled them with the greatest care she ever saw as if they could break with even the slightest shake and as if his life depended on it. And it did because if anything happened to them before she could see them, she would punish Xiang severely.

He walked over slowly until he sat down next to her and handed the two to her slowly. The most peaceful smile Mei had ever made came to her face as she saw their innocent faces. "They're precious…"

"A boy and a girl," he smiled. "You did well."

"We did well," she corrected.

"You're a mother now."

"You're a father now too," she added.

He smiled gently, hugging them all gently. "What should we name them?"

"That's a good question… but… there are two friends I wished who could be here."

"Then are you thinking of what I'm thinking?" he asked.

"It's a perfect idea," she smiled.

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><p><em>Eight years later<em>

A gentle melody was being played as it echoed throughout the home. The front door slowly opened and Xiang kicked off his shoes before removing his coat. "I'm home," he called out.

As the young man continued his way into the house, the song only became louder until he heard the clear sounds from the piano in the lounge. The music came to a gentle stop and the two sitting at the bench turned around to see him. "Welcome home," Mei greeted.

The girl got up from her seat and went to give him a short kiss. "How was work?"

"Well the students are doing really well so it's easier for me."

"Maybe you're just a good teacher," she smiled.

"Who knows," he chuckled. "What's going on?"

The young brown headed boy from the bench got up and ran over to the two adults, smiling brightly as Mei patted his head. He bared a striking resemblance to a younger Xiang but his face was much fuller because of his youth and his constant cheery expression only added to his chocolate brown eyes. "Just checking Tai's progress on the piano. He's doing extremely well although he has a lot of energy."

The boy looked up to his mother and gave a cheeky grin. Xiang kneeled down, ruffling his hair. "You're doing well aren't you?"

He nodded. "I am!" he exclaimed. The boy stepped up, hugging his father tightly. "Welcome home, Baba."

Xiang smiled softly, hugging him back. "Where's your sister?"

Tai changed the direction of his eyes, pointing down the hallway. Xiang didn't need to hear anything else when he saw a wave of brown hair from behind a door. The girl slowly poked her head from behind the wall and slowly stepped out, hugging a panda plush tightly. When she recognized it was Xiang who entered the home, she quickly broke out of her shy state and ran toward him. When she reached him, she was smiling brightly and hugging him.

"Baba~ you're home."

Xiang smiled softly, lifting her up into his arms. "How was your day with Mama, Yue?"

"Amazing," she answered.

Xiang was always impressed with the likeness of his daughter to Mei. If it wasn't for the eyes, it'd be a perfect match of a younger Mei. "That's good," he smiled.

Mei smiled, lifting Tai up and leading her family to sit down. It was these moments that she always cherished. A peaceful life with the ones she loved and cared for who returned all those feelings and sometimes even more so.

She lifted her gaze to see Xiang, giving him a loving smile and content when he returned it. Mei was happy if she could spend the rest of her life this way because she and Xiang had enough excitement and adventure. The simplicity of this current life didn't bother her one bit because now she and Xiang were going to raise their children to be ready for their own adventure. And that was more than enough to fill her world.

Xiang likewise was content with the new life with Mei. It was what he always wanted. It was true that he did regret some of the things of his past but he never allowed it to bother him. And even in those moments when he would remember, all he had to do was look to the three most precious people to him. And as long as he was with them and their ever shining radiance, that darkness would stay where it should. Under the light.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: for the last time for this story of mine, I don't own Hetalia <strong>

**A/n: It's finally that moment for the final chapter :) for those of you who didn't figure it out, the beginning letters of the titles spell out "Under the Light, Darkness Falls" Pretty witty right? Or I hope so. Sincerely I hope you enjoyed this because I put everything I could to give you all a satisfying ending. Truthfully I cried a bit writing this because I get a bit emotional with endings. I know time moved a bit quickly through each scene but I didn't want it to be too long and you did see what happens to them afterward. **

**Okay, from me to you all, thank you so so so much for reading this story to its end. And I'm not forgetting you reviewers, all of your messages and reviews all helped me smile and continue to write and thank you for that. This may only be fanfiction but I've been editing this outside to become a novel so maybe, hopefully I can get this published. Even though this is the end of this story, expect more stories to come because I do enjoy writing. Thank you all again and remember even in your darkest moment, look to find that special light :) Farewell for now and whenever one ending comes along, another beginning starts so see you in another story my dear readers.**


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